The International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 mandate all Member States to develop 'core capacities'. The IHR 2005 Amendment adopted at WHA76 (May 2024) introduced which significant change regarding PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern) declarations?

• A PHEIC declarations now require a 2/3 majority vote of WHO member states
• B The Director-General's authority to declare PHEIC was transferred to a standing Emergency Committee
• C All countries are now required to notify WHO within 24 hours of ANY unusual health event regardless of IHR criteria
• D A new intermediate alert category — 'Public Health Emergency of Regional Concern' (PHERC) — was formally created to allow earlier, graded international response activation ✓

Explanation

The WHO IHR 2005 Amendment package adopted at WHA76 in May 2024 (coming into force after 2 years unless member states opt out) includes the creation of a new alert category: the 'Public Health Emergency of Regional Concern' (PHERC), which allows WHO Regional Directors to declare a regional health emergency warranting intensified international response before a full global PHEIC threshold is reached. This graduated response mechanism was a key lesson from COVID-19, where the gap between early warning and PHEIC declaration was cited as contributing to delayed response. The DG retains authority over PHEIC declarations.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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