Achieving core capacities under the International Health Regulations (2005) as amended, is done differently by all WHO Member States. Legislation review and reform is one possible system intervention which can address system blockages and powerfully accelerate progress. Law reform is complex and the IHR require consideration of laws likely to be administered by multiple sectors. The IHR Toolkit Series for implementation of the IHR in National Legislation takes a careful and comprehensive look at what the IHR core capacities require and how national legislation can help. It is designed to sit on the desk of any official involved in law reform and the 7 modules may be used alone or together.

Module Three introduces the core capacities to detect, assess, notify and report events. To meet these capacities, State Parties must have effective systems for the collection of health information which operate at clinic, health facility, sub national and national levels. The capacities to detect are broad and encompass almost the entire system of domestic surveillance, assessment and reporting of public health risk for State Parties. The capacities ought to extend to information flow from national to subnational government level and back and then reach across involved sectors outside health.

This module examines what the IHR require State Parties to do in relation to detect, assess, notify and report events and provides suggestions and practical examples of how a state Party might use national legislation to do so.