Abstract The ordinary meaning of the term ‘prevention’ is to prevent harm from occurring. But what ‘harm’? For over 170 years, system now embodied in World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Regulations (IHRs) has answered this question by focusing on prevention disease ‘spread’ across countries, rather than ‘spillover’ pathogens animals humans, which constitute main source pandemic risk...

OBJECTIVE Describe the process of enacting and defending strong tobacco packaging and labelling regulations in Uruguay amid Philip Morris International's (PMI) legal threats and challenges. METHODS Triangulated government legislation, news sources and interviews with policy-makers and health advocates in Uruguay. RESULTS In 2008 and 2009, the Uruguayan government enacted at the time the wor...

Since the commencement of the International Health Regulations in 2007, global public health security has been faced with numerous emerging and ongoing events. Moreover, the Joint External Evaluation is a voluntary tool developed in compliance with the Global Health Security Agenda that represents the high responsibility of international health community towards the increased incidence of emerg...

Under the current International Health Regulations, 194 states parties are obligated to report potential public health emergencies of international concern to the World Health Organization (WHO) within 72 hours of becoming aware of an event. During July 2007-December 2011, WHO assessed and posted on a secure web portal 222 events from 105 states parties, including 24 events from the United Stat...