Strategies for implementing the new International Health Regulations in federal countries
Kumanan Wilson, Christopher McDougall, David P Fidler, Harvey Lazar
Volume 86, Number 3, March 2008, 215-220
Table 2. Summary of governance strategies
| Governance strategies | Advantages | Disadvantages | Potential area of use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legislation | • enforceable• clear designation of roles and responsibilities• clear lines of accountability | • dependent on existence of appropriate constitutional authority• may damage relations with other levels of government• inflexible | • authority to oversee and guide response to a PHEIC• mechanism to ensure transfer of epidemiological data to national level |
| Funding arrangements | • enforceable• links capacity development to governance strategy• respects constitutional boundaries | • may be changed unilaterally by national government• may be viewed as coercive• creates some ambiguity as to accountability | • surveillance capacity development in combination with meeting IHR reporting requirements |
| Agreements | • respects constitutional boundaries | • limits to enforceability | • mechanism to ensure transfer of epidemiological data to national level |
| Guidelines | • respects constitutional boundaries• flexible | • least enforceable | • standardization of data |
IHR, International Health Regulations; PHEIC, public health emergencies of international concern.