A Review of the Public Health Emergencies of International Concern

Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is defined in the International Health Regulations (IHR) as an extraordinary event that is determined to “constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response”. (1) IHR algorithm helps and assists WHO member states to arrive at a conclusion that whether a PHEIC exists or not and thereafter the WHO is notified. Since 2009 there have been six declarations, H1N1Pandemic (swine flu) in 2009, Polio declaration in 2014, Ebola in western Africa in 2014, Zika virus in 2015-16, Kivu Ebola virus in 2018-20 and the recent ongoing COVID-19.