International and national legal framework for responding to public-health threats as emergency situations

Sjeničić, Marta (2025) International and national legal framework for responding to public-health threats as emergency situations. In: Disaster risk reduction – models and practices at international and national level. University in Belgrade Faculty of Security Studies, Belgrade, pp. 151-164. ISBN 978-86-80144-69-6

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Abstract

For emergencies of international concern, the most relevant document is the International Health Regulations (hereinafter: IHR). The World Health Organisation has decided to amend the IHR, as violation of them were identified during the pandemic and there were indications that it was not sufficiently effective. Reports presented at the WHA in May 2021 pointed out the need to develop stronger monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to identify and learn lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps most importantly, countries may have breached the IHR by failing to cooperate in the fight againstCOVID-19. As far as Serbia is concerned, the 2016 Law on the Protection of Population from Communicable Diseases introduced novelties that bring it in line with international legislation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, stricter measures to protect population from communicable diseases, were introduced into the Law and implemented. During the pandemic, IT equipment was delivered to Institute of Public Health of Serbia and to 23 regional health institutes. The equipment should be used by infectious and other diseases experts to better coordinate their activities in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Although measures have been prescribed and implemented in Serbia and globally, the overall impression is that during the COVID-19 crisis numerous challenges for leadership at all levels of decision-making, lack of patterns and culture of communication, non-involvement of all interested parties important for problem identification and efficiency of the system have been revealed

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