Mar 1, 2023
Last week, a WHO working group reviewed proposed amendments to an international law that would allow the global health agency and its member states to expand and coordinate surveillance during times of "international health risk." These proposed amendments would add several new surveillance provisions to the International Health Regulations (2005) - an international law that dictates some aspects of health emergency response for 196 countries. The amendments have been in the works since January 2022 and have steadily progressed through the WHO's rule-making procedure. As they've progressed, more amendments have been proposed and in their current form, these suggested amendments give the WHO extra powers in various areas (link) including some related to surveillance. Currently, the IHR does contain some provisions requiring member states to build out their surveillance systems and provide information to the WHO but these proposed amendments add more surveillance provis
