Volume 13, Number 10—October 2007 Global Poverty and Human
Development Global Public Health Security “When the world is
collectively at risk, defense becomes a shared responsibility of
all nations.” –—Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General, World
Health Organization; World Health Day 2007 The framework of the
newly revised International Health Regulations is a key driver
in the effort to strengthen global public health security.
Unanimously agreed upon by the World Health Assembly on May 23,
2005, the regulations are the result of experience gained and
lessons learned during the past 30 years. This global legal
framework includes a commitment from the World Health
Organization (WHO) and from each WHO member state to improve
capacity for disease prevention, detection, and response. It
provides standards for addressing national public health threats
that have the potential to become global emergencies. Its
success will rely on the capacity and performance of national
public health systems, anchored by strong natio