STATEMENT
79th World Health Assembly
18 - 23 May 2026
Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services.
Norway’s National Statement
Item 13.1 - Report of the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme and 13.2 - Implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR).
Thank you chair.
Norway would like to thank the Secretariat and the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for their reports.
In our intervention, we will focus on IHR implementation and the efforts that are being made globally to strengthen core capacities through that framework.
We commend all of those involved in the ongoing response to the Andes-virus outbreak and the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, as well as in all of the other public health events across the world, for their tireless efforts. IHR is at the core of the response to both these outbreaks.
In response to the Secretariat’s question, we would like to offer the following input:
While we work towards completing the Pandemic Agreement, including the PABS annex, we cannot lose sight of the critical role the IHR plays in Member States’ capacity to prepare for and response to public health emergencies at national level.
In addition, we also want to see progress in advancing new elements of the revised IHR, such as the IHR implementation committee and Coordinating Financial Mechanism, for which the Secretariat plays a central role.
Thank you.