Who To Hold Major Public Health Security Exercise

Main Category: Aid / Disasters
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 08 Jun 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Exercises to test emergency procedures are an essential means of ensuring that organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), which operates out of more than 150 offices around the world, are ready to respond to public health emergencies. Following a series of smaller-scale exercises after the coming into force of new WHO obligations under the International Health Regulations (IHR), the Public Health Security Exercise (PHSX) will test worldwide IHR alert and response procedures.

This exercise will take place across several WHO Regions, including Country Offices, and at WHO Headquarters. It will also include the participation of the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand.

The IHR are an international treaty that is binding on 193 countries since their entry into force on 15 June 2007. The IHR provide a global framework for preventing, detecting, assessing and supporting a coordinated response to events that may constitute a public health emergency of international concern.

Exercises such as PHSX are necessary to test and practice operational procedures. This exercise will help WHO to identify opportunities for improvement in detecting and responding to real international public health threats. It is, moreover, a learning event which will be instructive for the global public health community.

World Health Organisation (WHO)
www.who.int