WHO Granted Sweeping Powers - H5N1 Captain Trips?
GENEVA - Possible travel and trade restrictions to help prevent deadly diseases such as bird flu or SARS crossing borders were among new rules approved by member states of the World Health Organization on Monday.
Any disagreement between the WHO and a member state on the seriousness of an outbreak, the rules allow the head of the UN body to summon a committee of experts to make recommendations on tackling the health threat, which could include travel bans for people or goods.
The 192 members of the World Health Organisation yesterday approved international rules giving the WHO sweeping powers to tackle disease outbreaks and other health threats.
The WHO said the need for new international health regulations had been underlined by the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and the more recent bird flu epidemic in Asia.
Under the new rules, countries will be required to report to the WHO any disease outbreak that could constitute "a public health emergency of international concern", to allow in WHO investigators and to show they are taking steps to control the outbreak.
The WHO will be able to issue its own recommendations, which could include travel restrictions, airport checks and quarantine measures that countries would be expected to follow.
WHO granted sweeping powers
Any disagreement between the WHO and a member state on the seriousness of an outbreak, the rules allow the head of the UN body to summon a committee of experts to make recommendations on tackling the health threat, which could include travel bans for people or goods.
The 192 members of the World Health Organisation yesterday approved international rules giving the WHO sweeping powers to tackle disease outbreaks and other health threats.
The WHO said the need for new international health regulations had been underlined by the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and the more recent bird flu epidemic in Asia.
Under the new rules, countries will be required to report to the WHO any disease outbreak that could constitute "a public health emergency of international concern", to allow in WHO investigators and to show they are taking steps to control the outbreak.
The WHO will be able to issue its own recommendations, which could include travel restrictions, airport checks and quarantine measures that countries would be expected to follow.
WHO granted sweeping powers
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