![]() | Hui Yun Chan |
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01.04.2025-25.04.2025
Bio-surveillance for pandemic planning: the role of International Health Regulations in influencing the development of legal frameworks governing bio-surveillance
The World Health Organization has cautioned the global community of the need to be prepared for the next pandemic. Bio-surveillance involves balancing considerations of community participation in surveillance, privacy interests, data protection tensions and public health benefits. There are similarly questions about who are the actors that are responsible for sustainable maintenance of bio-surveillance, how this could be conducted in a trustworthy way and a recognition of powerful private entities. Bio-surveillance can benefit individuals and population health through early warning systems and identification of public healthcare strategies in containing public health threats. Whilst there are potential benefits arising from bio-surveillance, there are accompanying risks to the population.
A successful and effective bio-surveillance programme requires justifiable implementation from governments and participation from populations. While technological developments have advanced bio-surveillance capabilities in scientific aspects, regulatory implementation in achieving the aims of bio-surveillance remains challenging, as countries navigate distinct socio-legal issues and interests. This project aims to explore the role of International Health Regulations in influencing countries and its Member States in establishing appropriate legal frameworks supporting bio-surveillance for future pandemic preparedness.
In achieving this overarching aim, this project is guided by the following sub-aims:
- Describe current international regulatory status of bio-surveillance in pandemic planning.
- Identify the strengths and limitations of International Health Regulations in enabling bio-surveillance.
- Ascertain the changes to countries’ legal obligations regarding bio-surveillance pursuant to proposed amendments to International Health Regulations.
Explore the role of International Health Regulations in influencing countries and Member States towards fulfilling their obligations in developing legal frameworks for bio-surveillance for pandemic planning purposes.
It is anticipated that a preliminary concept paper will result from further engagement with preliminary issues identified in the project proposal. It is expected that key topics from the concept paper will provide the foundation for furthering the arguments in an original research paper. The original research paper will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed open access platforms. This background work is anticipated to lead to further outputs, including potential future funding applications and publications.