The amended International Health Regulations came into force in September 2025, introducing a new legal category called Pandemic Emergency.
This amendment, adopted by consensus at the 77th World Health Assembly in June 2024, created a sub-category under the existing Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
A Pandemic Emergency applies when a communicable disease spreads across regions and countries, overwhelms health systems, disrupts societies and economies, and requires rapid, coordinated international response.
It thus sets a higher threshold than the standard PHEIC, ensuring faster global mobilization in future pandemic scenarios.
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