Amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR)

It marks an historic success for global health policy: After two long years of highly intensive negotiations, on 1 June 2024, amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) were adopted in Geneva. The over 190 States Parties to the IHR agreed on wide-ranging improvements. These afford people all around the world better protection from dangerous threats to public health.

The agreed amendments include introducing the new warning level of a pandemic emergency, enshrining the principles of solidarity and equity through increased cooperation between the Member States themselves as well as with the World Health Organization (WHO) and setting up a coordinating financial mechanism for more efficient use of funds to build up the core capacities needed for the IHR.

Moreover, to better sustain the effective implementation of the Regulations, a States Parties Committee will be set up. Especially the States Parties Committee and the resulting obligation on the States Parties to focus more strongly on the implementation of the IHR and better keep it on track in the future, will strengthen the International Health Regulations. In addition, the decision algorithm for outbreaks is being modified so as to better detect and report unknown SARS-CoV outbreaks.   

Countries will be better supported by WHO when investigating undetermined disease outbreaks and WHO’s publication of information on events that threaten public health will be simplified. Furthermore, the amendment package includes provisions on possible recommendations by WHO on the availability and distribution of relevant health products, the maintenance of essential supply chains as well as facilitating travel by health care workers plus numerous other changes, including the possibility of using digital health certificates in public health emergencies.

The amendments do not in any way change the non-binding character of the recommendations from the WHO Director-General in the event of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

To approve the amendments nationally, ratifying legislation is required under the Basic Law. This legislation then enshrines them into German law. On Wednesday 16 July 2025, the Federal Cabinet adopted the Act on the Amendment of the IHR, initiating the next step in the process that also provides for the involvement of the Bundesrat. The foregoing does not affect Germany’s national sovereignty nor national public health protection measures.