Fostering monitoring and evaluation for International Health Regulations
The IHR requires States Parties to develop core capacities for rapid detection, assessment and response to public emergencies. These include the capacity for surveillance, laboratories and risk communication, with suitable legislation and financing, and operated through National IHR Focal Points. The health system as a whole provides the foundation on which the IHR core capacities are established.
IHR implementation is a long-term process that calls for countries to:
- develop and strengthen specific national public health capacities;
- identify priority areas for action;
- develop national IHR action plans;
- maintain these capacities and continue to build and strengthen as needed over time.
To ensure that countries have an adequate level of public health emergency preparedness, national IHR capacities have to be continuously monitored and periodically evaluated.
Countries are required to report annually to the World Health Assembly on the status of implementation of capacities and the WHO Regional Office for Europe helps countries review, monitor progress and prepare their annual reports.
IHR monitoring and evaluation framework
The IHR Monitoring and Evaluation framework, which consists of four complementary components, helps to provide a comprehensive overview of the current status of IHR country capacities, as well as providing a basis for evidence-based policy-making:
- Mandatory States Parties Annual Reporting (SPAR);
- voluntary external evaluations;
- simulation exercises;
- After Action Reviews (AAR).
All countries are encouraged to conduct monitoring and evaluation activities to identify gaps and develop concrete action plans to ensure their people are protected from health emergencies. Results and recommendations from these activities are the basis for the development of a National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS).
