What is the International Health Regulations (IHR) and what does it mean for South Sudan?

The International Health Regulations (IHR) are a legally binding international agreement that requires WHO Member States, including South Sudan, to develop and maintain core capacities for detecting, assessing, reporting, and responding to public health events of international concern. The IHR core capacities include: national legislation and policy; coordination; surveillance; response; preparedness; risk communication; human resources; and laboratory. Health informatics is central to several of these capacities, particularly surveillance, response, and human resources.

South Sudan has been assessed against the IHR core capacities through the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) process. The JEE identified significant gaps in South Sudan health security capacities, including in health information systems and surveillance. SSHIA contributes to addressing these gaps through training, advocacy, and technical support for health information system strengthening.