EPHA Briefing note on the International Health Regulations

In our increasingly interconnected world international travel is more common for more people and over longer distances, leading to greater concerns over the threats posed by infectious disease outbreaks.


There has long been recognition of the need to put in-place a systematic approach for authorities to respond to such in the form of agreements on international cooperation on infectious diseases.

These agreements have evolved from being rather straightforward and covering a limited number of diseases to being more complex and covering a greater number of threats.

This briefing details these agreements - International Health Regulations - and reviews their current status (as of April 2007).

Last modified on May 2 2007.