Law and the JEE: Lessons for IHR Implementation

In an increasingly globalized world, countries face infectious disease threats and public health emergencies that transcend borders, making health security of paramount importance. Legal frameworks, at both the international and national levels, can empower governments to strengthen public health and preparedness systems to better detect and respond to infectious disease threats and public health emergencies. The development of the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) and the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), and the resulting Joint External Evaluation (JEE), are examples of coordinated global efforts to build capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to the international spread of disease. This article uses 3 case studies to describe a role for law in IHR implementation. It highlights the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Global Health Security Public Health Law Project and describes how legal mapping data and the resources developed are being used by countries to strengthen health systems and support IHR implementation.