ontext

A revised version of the International Health Regulations (IHR) was agreed by WHO Member States during the 2005 World Health Assembly. Under these regulations, countries are required to develop and maintain the capacity to detect, investigate and report to the international community, through WHO, potential public health events of potential international concern.
Despite the significant progress made by resource-limited countries in the implementation of the IHR, national public health laboratory systems remain weak in many aspects, not well prepared to detect and respond to not only outbreaks, but more largely to most public health emergencies. A number of vulnerable states suffer from a combined series of risks, such as natural disasters or conflicts which amplify the risk of epidemic outbreaks and threaten global health security..

Objectives

Minimizing biological risks increased by environmental and climate change by strengthening Public Health Laboratories.

The project has been designed to closely align with the goals of the 13th WHO General Programme of Work, the European Commission’s Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, more specifically the European Union CBRN Centres of Excellence initiative, and requirements for developing core capacities for health security under the International Health Regulations, IHR (2005)