Public Health Emergencies of International Concern: Global, Regional, and Local Responses to Risk

Abstract

The declaration in 2009 that the H1N1 pandemic constituted a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) was the first such declaration under the revised International Health Regulations that were adopted in 2005. In the period since then PHEIC have been declared in relation to polio, Ebola, and Zika. This article evaluates initiatives that have been introduced globally, within the Asia-Pacific region, and within Australia, to strengthen preparedness for public health emergencies. Through analysis of evolving conceptualisations of risk, surveillance of zoonotic diseases, and development of public health capacities, the article argues that to date the global community has failed to make the necessary investments in health system strengthening, and that without these investments, global public health emergencies will continue to be an ongoing challenge.

The legal determinants of health: harnessing the power of law for global health and sustainable development

“…213 Declaration of a PHEIC under the IHR carries normative weight under international law, and allows WHO to alert and engage the international community. 214 At the same time, only 30% of states parties had reported meeting the IHR requirements to develop core health system capacities, 215 and states widely ignored WHO travel recommendations. During the Ebola epidemic, the PIP Framework was not even applicable, as its narrow scope is limited to pandemic influenza strains.…”

Infectious disease pandemic planning and response: Incorporating decision analysis

“…A key lesson from the emergence of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was the need for pandemic policies to be adaptable to evolving pandemic scenarios [20,21]. Many countries found that their planning assumptions did not match the expected level of pandemic impact because they were based on the more lethal HPAI H5N1 virus [22,23]. In light of the relative mildness of A (H1N1)pdm09, which still had serious consequences, countries had to rapidly adjust their plans in order to deliver a proportionate response [20].…”

Outbreaks in the age of syndemics: New insights for improving Indigenous health

“…It has been argued that, in spite of the 2005 revision of the International Health Regulations, preventing public health emergencies of international concern (such as Ebola and Zika) will require stronger investment in health systems, particularly in low-and middle-income countries (32). The rise of antimicrobial resistance has become a United Nations (UN) priority in recent months, emphasizing the need for a unified and global approach to reducing communicable disease threats to health (33).…”