Latest news with #IHR
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Health
- GMA Network
US rejects WHO pandemic changes to global health rules
The World Health Organization logo is seen near WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on February 2, 2023. REUTERS/ Denis Balibouse/ File photo WASHINGTON — The United States has rejected amendments adopted in 2024 by members of the World Health Organization (WHO) to its legally binding health rules aimed at improving preparedness for future pandemics following the disjointed global response to COVID-19. The Department of State and Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement they had transmitted on Friday the official US rejection of the amendments to the International Health Regulations, which were adopted by consensus last year. The amendments introduced a new category of "pandemic emergency" for the most significant and globally threatening health crises in an effort to shore up the world's defenses against new pathogens. "Developed without adequate public input, these amendments expand the role of the WHO in public health emergencies, create additional authorities for the WHO for shaping pandemic declarations, and promote WHO's ability to facilitate 'equitable access' of health commodities," the US statement said. "Terminology throughout the 2024 amendments is vague and broad, risking WHO-coordinated international responses that focus on political issues like solidarity, rather than rapid and effective actions," said the statement, jointly issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy, who has a long history of sowing doubt about vaccine safety, had slammed the WHO in a video address to the Assembly during its vote on a separate pandemic agreement, saying it had failed to learn from the lessons of the pandemic. That pact, which was adopted in Geneva in May after three years of negotiations, aims to ensure that drugs, therapeutics and vaccines are globally accessible when the next pandemic hits. It requires participating manufacturers to allocate a target of 20% of their vaccines, medicines and tests to the WHO during a pandemic to ensure poorer countries have access. US negotiators left discussions about the accord after President Donald Trump began a 12-month process of withdrawing the US—by far the WHO's largest financial backer—from the agency when he took office in January. Its exit means the US would not be bound by the pact. Kennedy and Rubio said on Friday that their rejection protects US sovereignty. The IHR amendments and the parallel pandemic pact leave health policy to national governments and contain nothing that overrides national sovereignty, however. — Reuters
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
US rejects amendments to WHO international health regulations
Trump administration officials rejected a series of rules Friday to help the international community prevent and respond to public health risks. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement formally rejecting the 2024 International Health Regulations (IHR) Amendments by the World Health Organization (WHO). 'The proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations open the door to the kind of narrative management, propaganda, and censorship that we saw during the COVID pandemic,' Kennedy said in a video message posted on social platform X. 'The United States can cooperate with other nations without jeopardizing our civil liberties, without undermining our Constitution, and without ceding away America's treasured sovereignty,' he added. The IHR is an international legal agreement that has been adopted by all 194 WHO member states and includes an outline to 'rights and responsibilities' of the organization and governments in handling global health emergencies like pandemics. Both the IHR amendments and the pandemic agreement leave health policy up to national governments. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said in a post on X that the organization has never had the power to mandate lockdowns, travel restrictions or any other similar measures. 'Member States have the power to do so if they see the need,' he wrote. Member states decided to review and potentially amend the IHR in 2022 in light of the challenges that arose among the international community in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to health nonprofit KFF. The WHO formally approved a of number revisions to the IHR last year but did not come to a consensus on a pandemic agreement until earlier this year. Kennedy said in the video message that WHO member states have until next week to reject the amendments. He added the U.S. is choosing to reject the amended regulations, in part, for reasons related to 'national sovereignty.' 'Nations who accept the new regulations are signing over their power in health emergencies to an unelected, international organization that could order lockdowns, travel restrictions or any other measures it sees fit,' the HHS chief said. 'If we are going to give the WHO that much power we should at least invite a thorough public debate.' He noted that the U.S.'s decision to reject the amendments was sparked by concerns over a regulation regarding 'risk communications' systems. The amended requirements, Kennedy continued, require countries to establish systems of risk communication that he believes opens the door to 'narrative management, propaganda and censorship' that the world saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'We don't want to see that kind of system institutionalized even further,' he said. There is also concern over a provision in the amendments related 'global systems of health IDs and vaccine passports' which Kennedy thinks will pave the way for global medical surveillance. The move is the latest in the Trump administration's efforts to try to distance the U.S. from the WHO. In January, President Trump issued an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the organization and stated the country would pause the future transfer of funding. The president tried to withdraw the country from the international organization during his first term. The withdrawal never happened — it takes a year for a member state to fully withdraw from the WHO — and former President Biden reversed the decision once he took office. Public health experts decried Trump's move, warning that it would severely weaken domestic and global public health. The U.S. was a founding member of the WHO in 1948 and is the largest financial donor of the organization. —Updated at 6:08 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
US rejects amendments to WHO international health regulations
Trump administration officials on Friday rejected a series of rules to help the international community prevent and respond to public health risks. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement formally rejecting the 2024 International Health Regulations Amendments (IHR) by the World Health Organization (WHO). 'The proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations open the door to the kind of narrative management, propaganda, and censorship that we saw during the COVID pandemic,' Kennedy said in a video message posted on social platform X. 'The United States can cooperate with other nations without jeopardizing our civil liberties, without undermining our Constitution, and without ceding away America's treasured sovereignty,' he added. The IHR is an international legal agreement that has been adopted by all 194 WHO member states and includes an outline to 'rights and responsibilities' of the organization and governments in handling global health emergencies like pandemics. Member states decided to review and potentially amend the IHR in 2022 in light of the challenges that arose among the international community in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to health nonprofit KFF. The WHO formally approved a of number revisions to the IHR last year, but they did not come to a consensus on a pandemic agreement until earlier this year. Kennedy said in the video message that WHO member states have until next to reject the amendments. He added that the U.S. is choosing to reject the amended regulations, in part, for reasons related to 'national sovereignty.' 'Nations who accept the new regulations are signing over their power in health emergencies to an unelected, international organization that could order lockdowns, travel restrictions or any other measures it sees fit,' the HHS chief said. 'If we are going to give the WHO that much power we should at least invite a thorough public debate.' He noted that the U.S.'s decision to reject the amendments was sparked by concerns over a regulation regarding 'risk communications' systems. The amended requirements, Kennedy continued, require countries to establish systems of risk communication that he believes opens the door to 'narrative management, propaganda and censorship' that the world saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'We don't want to see that kind of system institutionalized even further,' he said. There is also concern over a provision in the amendments related 'global systems of health IDs and vaccine passports' which Kennedy thinks will pave the way for global medical surveillance. The move is the latest in the Trump administration's efforts to try and distance the U.S. from the WHO. In January, President Trump issued an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from the organization and stated the country would pause the future transfer of funding. The president tried to withdraw the country from the international organization during his first term. The withdrawal never happened — it takes a year for a member state to fully withdraw from the WHO — and former President Biden reversed the decision once he took office. Public health experts decried Trump's move, warning that it would severely weaken domestic and global public health.
Express Tribune
29-06-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
$18.7m pandemic response launched
Pakistan has launched the implementation of a $18.7 million project under the pandemic fund to strengthen its pandemic preparedness and response systems. Supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the initiative will establish "One Health Units" across the country through a coordinated approach linking human, animal, and environmental health sectors. Led by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination and supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the initiative emphasises the urgent need for integrated action across human, animal, and environmental health systems. The launch event, held in Islamabad, brought together over 70 stakeholders, including senior government officials from the ministries of health, food security, and climate change, as well as representatives from provincial authorities and development partners. "The pandemic fund presents a critical opportunity for countries like Pakistan to bolster their national health security. The integration of the One Health approach will enable us to build resilient systems that can detect and respond to complex health threats, including zoonotic spillovers and antimicrobial resistance," said Dr Shabana Saleem, Director General of Health. Pakistan's strategy aligns with the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) and the International Health Regulations (IHR), prioritizing the One Health approach to address the fact that over 75% of emerging infectious diseases in humans originate from animals — risks further exacerbated by climate change and growing antimicrobial resistance. The One Health Units will strengthen coordinated disease surveillance, early warning systems, cross-sectoral data sharing, laboratory capacity, and workforce training. These units will be embedded within existing government systems and guided by clear mandates and governance frameworks. "The pandemic fund allows us to move from planning to action, from commitment to coordination," said Florence Rolle, FAO Representative in Pakistan. "It provides a chance to operationalize long-standing goals for zoonotic disease control, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance management." Dr Dapeng Luo, WHO Representative in Pakistan, emphasized the urgency of the effort: "The Covid pandemic was a stark reminder that building stronger health systems is no longer optional. The WHO is committed to working alongside Pakistan and its partners to save lives when the next health threat emerges." In addition to the $18.7 million from the Pandemic Fund, the initiative has mobilized $4.1 million in co-financing and $49.7 million in co-investment, underscoring strong national and international commitment to building a safer, healthier future.
Time Magazine
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Iran Carries Out String of Executions and Arrests
Iran has executed three men convicted of spying for Israel and detained hundreds more civilians in a widening crackdown that rights groups say reflects growing paranoia within the Islamic Republic's leadership following a deadly exchange of strikes with Israel. The executions, carried out by hanging in the northwestern city of Urmia, targeted Edris Ali, Azad Shojaei, and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul—ethnic Kurds accused of aiding the Israeli Mossad in the 2020 assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a prominent nuclear scientist. Their names had previously appeared on a list published by Iran Human Rights (IHR), an Oslo-based advocacy group, which warned that at least ten men faced imminent execution on similar charges. The timing of the executions appears intended less to inflame anti-Israel sentiment than to project strength internally, a source familiar with the matter told TIME, describing it as a signal of resolve by a government increasingly consumed with fears of infiltration. The recent crackdown has also renewed international concern over the fate of Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian doctor and academic who has spent more than seven years on death row. IHR reported this week that Djalali was moved from Tehran's Evin Prison to an undisclosed location shortly after an Israeli strike on the facility. 'There is an imminent risk that his death sentence will be carried out at any moment,' the group warned. Since the outbreak of open hostilities with Israel on June 13, Iranian authorities have arrested more than 700 people on charges related to alleged collaboration with Israel, according to rights monitors. This week's executions bring to six the number of Iranians put to death for espionage since the start of the conflict. Though Iran's government has presented these arrests and executions as evidence of a crackdown on foreign meddling, public sentiment appears to be shifting in a more complex direction. A source in Iran, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TIME that for the first time in decades, 'widespread hatred' toward Israel is growing among ordinary Iranians—fueled not by government propaganda, but by firsthand experience of violence. 'Israel was very willing to kill six Iranian civilians for their [military] target, and that's something which has really made a lot of Iranians angry,' the source said. 'Iranians feel very critical of their own government because it wasn't able to defend them… and at the same time, they're extremely resentful, verging on hatred, toward the Israeli government because of all the civilian deaths.' The Iranian government has become increasingly paranoid about intelligence leaks since its almost two-week long conflict with Israel, which began with Israeli attacks on key military and nuclear targets on June 13. The first strikes resulted in the deaths of multiple highly ranked military officials and top scientists working on Tehran's nuclear program. Israel has previously conducted covert operations and targeted strikes within Iran's borders, including the high-profile assassination of Hamas political leader Ismael Haniyeh in 2024. However, the scale and visibility of the latest campaign have been unprecedented. During nearly two weeks of conflict, Israeli missile strikes killed at least 974 Iranians—including 387 civilians and 268 military personnel—according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Israel reported 28 deaths from Iranian missile retaliation. Though a cease-fire is now in place, the fallout from the confrontation continues to unfold. Iranian authorities remain focused on rooting out suspected espionage networks, while the public contends with a shifting landscape of fear, anger, and mistrust—directed both at their own government and at Israel.
