While disease outbreaks and other acute public health risks and events are often unpredictable and require a range of responses, the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) provide an overarching legal framework that defines States Parties’ (countries’) rights and obligations in managing p ... ublic health risks, events and emergencies that have the potential to cross borders. more

The IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework provides an overview of approaches to review implementation of country core public health capacities under the IHR (2005). The Framework ensures the mutual accountability of States Parties and the Secretariat for global public health security through trans ... parent reporting and dialogue. more

States Parties and the Director-General report to the World Health Assembly on the implementation of the IHR. States Parties use a self-assessment tool for their annual reporting called the IHR States Parties Self-Assessment Annual Reporting Tool or SPAR. The SPAR tool consists of 35 indicators for ... the 15 IHR capacities needed to detect, assess, notify, report and respond to public health risks and acute events of domestic and international concern. For each of the 15 capacities, one to three indicators are used to measure the status of each capacity. Indicators are further broken down into attributes, which further define the indicator at each level. more

A Joint External Evaluation (JEE) is an essential component of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (IHR MEF). The process involves a self-assessment by the country, followed by an evaluation conducted by an independent JEE team using a standardized tool. Th ... is tool assesses 19 technical areas across four domains: prevention, detection, response, and other hazards and points of entry. more

Questions and answers relating to the International Health Regulations and the process for amending them.