Surveillance under the International Health Regulations (2005)

The International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) are a legally binding agreement that was adopted by all WHO Member States and which entered into force in June 2007. While taking the challenges of a globalized world into consideration, the purpose of the IHR (2005) is to provide a framework for international efforts to contain or reduce the risk from public health threats that may spread between countries. To this end, the IHR (2005) contain rights and obligations for the States and for WHO concerning national and international surveillance, assessment and public health response. With respect to surveillance, States are required to notify WHO of all events "that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern" according to agreed criteria. This obligation applies to novel or evolving public health risks, taking into account the context in which the event occurs. The IHR (2005) also contain obligations regarding global preparedness to address public health threats which include the establishment of national capacity to both detect and respond to events by June 2012.