Public Health Emergency of International Concern

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A Public Health Emergency of International Concern is a formal WHO designation for an extraordinary health event that poses a public health risk to multiple countries and may require a coordinated international response.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World Health Organization designation
international legal mechanism
public health emergency category
adoptedIn 2005 revision of the International Health Regulations
advisedBy WHO Emergency Committee
appliesTo acute public health events
events with risk of international spread
events with risk of travel or trade restrictions
cameIntoForce 15 June 2007
consequence enhanced international reporting obligations
heightened global coordination and resource mobilization
temporary WHO recommendations to States Parties
criteriaIncludes serious public health impact
significant risk of international spread
significant risk of international travel or trade restrictions
unusual or unexpected nature of the event
decisionProcess based on recommendations of an Emergency Committee of experts
declaredBy World Health Organization
surface form: WHO Director-General
definedBy World Health Organization
firstDeclaredFor 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic
governedBy States Parties to the International Health Regulations
hasBeenDeclaredFor 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic
2014 polio (wild poliovirus and vaccine-derived poliovirus)
2014–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak
2015–2016 Zika virus outbreak
2018–2020 Kivu Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
2022 multi-country mpox (monkeypox) outbreak
COVID-19 outbreak caused by SARS-CoV-2
languageOfDefinition English
legalBasis international health regulations
surface form: International Health Regulations (2005)
organizationCountry Switzerland
organizationHeadquartersCity Geneva
partOf international health regulations
surface form: International Health Regulations (2005)
purpose to avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade
to reduce international spread of disease
to strengthen global surveillance and response
to trigger coordinated international public health response
relatedConcept One Health
global health security
pandemic
requiresNotificationFrom States Parties to the International Health Regulations
scope event that constitutes a public health risk to other States through international spread of disease
event that potentially requires a coordinated international response
extraordinary public health event
shortName PHEIC
usedBy United Nations system
surface form: United Nations agencies

international health organizations
national public health authorities

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

2018–2020 Kivu Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo WHO_PHEIC_Status Public Health Emergency of International Concern
World Health Organization declares Public Health Emergency of International Concern
WHO Emergency Committee relatedTo Public Health Emergency of International Concern