World Health Organization reinforces pandemic regulations - no plans for lockdown edicts
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently updated its preparedness regulations to better equip the international community in facing potential new pandemics. These updates, outlined in the revised International Health Regulations (IHR), aim to help prevent and combat the cross-border spread of diseases more effectively.
Countries with extensive health systems usually already have the necessary capacities to deal with new infections. However, laboratories and clinics in all countries, regardless of their current capacities, are crucial for preventing or containing global crises. Each country must create capacities to detect, monitor, and immediately combat disease pathogens, with these capacities ideally created by a national authority in each country, supported by a WHO committee.
In Germany, the updated IHR must be anchored in national law. The German cabinet has brought a bill forward regarding the IHR update, currently in the Bundestag and Bundesrat. The draft bill includes potential costs for laboratory tests at airports and harbors if no existing agreements are in place.
The WHO has never had the authority to order coercive measures and will not do so in the future. The WHO Director-General can only issue recommendations for measures, not order lockdowns, vaccine mandates, or border closures. Countries have the discretion to implement the WHO's recommendations or not.
A pandemic emergency can be declared when a virus emerges globally and threatens to spread across borders, if the capacity of health systems is threatened, if there are significant social and economic consequences, and if an internationally coordinated response is needed. The updated regulations allow the WHO to declare a "pandemic emergency" as the highest level of alert.
The WHO's role in this context is to provide guidance and recommendations, not to dictate actions. Minister Nina Warken (CDU) emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in preventing or containing global crises.
Moreover, a pandemic treaty is being negotiated by more than 190 WHO members to improve pandemic preparedness. This treaty aims to ensure the fair distribution of aid supplies and vaccines worldwide in a crisis. Germany rejects the recent amendments to the IHR until national constitutional requirements for their implementation are met; thus, Germany's duties and rights regarding detection, monitoring, and immediate response to disease pathogens under the updated IHR are pending full national adoption and legal integration.
Lastly, the capacities created under the IHR update should not only focus on medical aspects but also encompass the ability to deal with misinformation about diseases or protective measures. This is crucial in maintaining public trust and ensuring an effective response to global health crises.
In conclusion, the updates to the International Health Regulations mark a significant step towards improving global pandemic preparedness. The WHO, along with national authorities, will work together to create capacities to detect, monitor, and combat disease pathogens, with the ultimate goal of preventing or containing global health crises.
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