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The WHO and International Health Regulations: Lessons from The Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in West Africa

Authors

Linda Nwaodu-Ufomba

Rubric:Economics and management
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The revised International Health Regulations – IHR (2005), a framework that provides public health response during disease outbreaks – is certainly not far from ensuring that WHO remains the coordinator and strategic planner in global public health emergencies. However, it needs to incorporate enforcement mechanisms to avert state parties non-compliance during public health emergencies. This paper critically assesses the extent to which the Ebola outbreak has challenged WHO authority as a key global health actor. While IHR (2005) vagueness and State Parties’ misunderstanding may have contributed to non-compliance, the Ebola outbreak revealed that lack of enforcement mechanism underpinned the non-adherence to these regulations. Subsequently, State Parties’ failure to comply with regulations challenged the WHO’s authority and exposed it to criticism.

Keywords

International Health Regulations
Ebola Virus Disease
World Health Organization
Global Health
Infectious Disease
Public Health

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