Action plan to improve public health preparedness and response in the WHO European Region 2018–2023
When the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) entered into force on 15 June 2007, States Parties unanimously agreed to “develop, strengthen and maintain … the capacity to respond promptly and effectively to public health risks and public health emergencies of international concern” by 2012. Further extensions were granted for the periods 2012–2014 and 2014–2016 to allow States Parties to undertake the necessary capacity building to comply with IHR (2005) requirements.
In 2017, in its decision WHA70(11), the World Health Assembly requested the Director-General “to develop, in full consultation with Member States, including through the regional committees, a draft five-year global strategic plan to improve public health preparedness and response … to be submitted for consideration and adoption by the Seventy-first World Health Assembly” in 2018.
The feedback received from Member States during meetings of the WHO regional committees and through web-based and face-to-face consultations was incorporated into a revised draft of the five-year global strategic plan to improve public health preparedness and response. The global strategic plan was welcomed with appreciation by the World Health Assembly in May 2018 in decision WHA71(15).
To present the regional priorities for IHR implementation in the WHO European Region, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, in consultation with Member States and key partners, submitted document EUR/RC67/13, Accelerating implementation of the IHR (2005) and strengthening laboratory capacities for better health in the European Region, for consideration by the 67th Regional Committee (RC67) in September 2017. It was agreed that the document should serve as the basis for the development of a regional action plan aligned with the global strategic plan. It would, in addition, allow for the prioritization of all accelerated actions during 2017–2018.
The action plan to improve public health preparedness and response in the WHO European Region, 2018–2023 was submitted to RC68, and was welcomed with appreciation through the unanimous adoption of resolution EUR/RC68/R7.
