ACCROSS

PHEIC

Public Health Emergency of International Concern

A Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is a formal declaration by the WHO of "an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response".[1] The definition implies a situation that is "serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected", "carries implications for public health beyond the affected State's national border", and "may require immediate international action". The IHR implies that States have a legal duty to respond promptly to a PHEIC.