Medical Institutions Warn of Risks Arising from Rejection of IHR Revision

Bratislava, 13 March (TASR) - The Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University in Bratislava, the Slovak Medical Association (SLS) and the Slovak Medical Chamber (SLK) have warned of the risks arising from the government's rejection of the 2024 revision of the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Health Regulations (IHR), as it could result in less access to information, medicines or vaccines for Slovakia, TASR has learnt from their joint statement provided by SLK's communications manager Prokop Slovacek. "The decision to reject the revision of the WHO's International Health Regulations means that the Slovak Republic will be bound by the older version," stated the experts. "We won't be part of a system designed to provide faster sharing of epidemiological and genetic data on pathogens and improved international coordination during pandemics," they added. Experts understand that there are legal issues to be addressed, but from a medical perspective, Slovakia isn't capable of dealing with any highly infectious disease imported into the country on its own at the moment. "Therefore, Slovakia's isolation in terms of biological safety, in which we are not and never will be self-sufficient, is definitely not a good signal for the people of this country," continues the joint statement. The Association of Private Doctors (ASL) has added to the criticism by publishing its statement on a social network. "It's unacceptable for a decision with potentially fundamental consequences for public health protection to be made without a professional analysis of medical impacts and without discussion with the medical community," it stated. The government on Wednesday (11 March) agreed to reject the 2024 IHR revision based on a resolution submitted by the Health Ministry citing potential doubts in terms of human rights and the Constitution, while also relying on the opinions of several law faculties at Slovak universities. Justice Minister Boris Susko stated that Slovakia's rejection of the IHR revision won't change anything in international cooperation during medical crises, noting that Slovakia is currently bound by the existing IHR from 2005. Health Minister Kamil Sasko stated that international cooperation in this area is working well and that Slovakia remains a respected partner. He added that the medical-scientific aspect of the revision isn't disputed by anyone, and Slovakia will accede to it once the legal issues have been resolved. jrg/df