CHR News Desk | New Delhi
State Parties to the International Health Regulations (IHR) made significant strides towards finalizing a package of amendments aimed at enhancing global pandemic readiness during the eighth meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the IHR (WGIHR), which adjourned on Thursday. The session, slated to reconvene on May 16, witnessed pivotal discussions aimed at bolstering the international community’s ability to detect and respond to pandemic threats.
The proposed amendments, conceived in response to lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, aim to fortify the IHR and equip nations worldwide with robust tools to combat future health crises. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), underscored the historic significance of this collaborative effort, emphasizing the imperative to safeguard future generations against the ravages of epidemics and pandemics through equitable and solidarity-driven measures.
Commencing on April 22, the eighth meeting of the WGIHR saw deliberations on parallel tracks with negotiations for a pioneering pandemic agreement geared towards fostering enhanced global collaboration in pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response. Notably, it was proposed during WGIHR8 that separate Resolutions be submitted to the World Health Assembly in May, delineating the distinct processes.
Substantial progress was achieved during the eighth meeting, with State Parties converging on key areas of agreement regarding the package of amendments. Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, Co-Chair of the WGIHR, hailed the collective effort as a testament to nations’ readiness to fortify global defenses against public health emergencies.
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Abdullah Assiri, fellow Co-Chair of the WGIHR, stressed the imperative of implementing readily actionable amendments that uphold principles of equity while fostering an effective global response to health crises. Dr. Assiri emphasized that the amendments acknowledge the borderless nature of pandemic threats, underlining the urgency of bolstering collective defenses to safeguard public health, societies, and economies.
The eighth meeting of the WGIHR is slated to reconvene for a final two-day session on May 16-17, aimed at concluding the Working Group’s mandate from the Health Assembly.
The IHR, boasting 196 State Parties including all 194 WHO Member States alongside Liechtenstein and the Holy See, have been at the forefront of global health security. Negotiated under Article 21 of the WHO Constitution, any amendment to the IHR will be universally binding, save for States Parties notifying the WHO Director-General of rejection or reservation.
