Specific risks
The control or containment of known risks to public health is one of the most powerful ways to improve international public health security since these threats constitute the vast majority of events with a potential to cause public health emergencies which fall within the scope of the International Health Regulations (2005). Existing disease control programmes which address infectious diseases as well as food and environmental safety contribute significantly to WHO's global alert and response system, in addition to being a driving force behind core public health capacity strengthening in countries.
WHO programmes addressing diseases with serious public health impact for which a single case, irrespective of context, requires immediate notification to WHO (see IHR Annex 2):
- IHR (2005) case definitions
- Influenza
- Poliomyelitis Eradication Initiative
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
- Smallpox
WHO programmes addressing diseases that have demonstrated the ability to cause serious health impact and to spread rapidly across borders:
- Vector-borne viral infections
- Cholera and other epidemic diarrhoeal diseases
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Plague
- Viral haemorrhagic fevers
- Yellow fever
WHO programmes addressing other diseases of epidemic potential:
IHR Lyon office
Highlights
- Guide to hygiene and sanitation in aviation (third edition)
- Guide to ship sanitation (third edition)
- IHR key publications
- COMBI: A toolkit for behavioural and social communication in outbreak response
- COMBI: Field Workbook for COMBI planning steps in outbreak response
- Laboratory Assessment Tool
- International travel and health
- Biosafety and laboratory security
- Training toolkit: Laboratory quality management system
- Biostatistics: New CD-ROM for self learning
-
IHR implementation at ports, airports and ground crossings
Video - E-library: Knowledge, training and resources to support IHR implementation