title: The Pacific experience: supporting small island countries and territories to meet their 2012 International Health Regulations (2005) commitments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  By 15 June 2012, States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005), or IHR (2005), were required to have established the core capacities required to implement Annex 1 of IHR (2005).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The Pacific is home to 10 million people spread over 21 Pacific island countries and territories. Seven of those have populations of less than 25 000 people; 14 of the 21 Pacific island countries and territories are States Parties to the IHR (2005).
  
  
  METHODS
  The World Health Organization Division of the South Pacific embarked on an initiative to support Pacific Island States Parties meet their 15 June 2012 IHR obligations. We adapted the 2012 IHR Monitoring Questionnaire (IHRMQ) to assist Pacific island countries and territories determine if they had met the capacities required to implement Annex 1 of the IHR (2005). If a Pacific island country or territory determined that it had not yet met the requirements, it could use the assessment outcome to develop a plan to address identified gaps.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Direct support was provided to 19 of 21 (91%) Pacific island countries and territories including 13 of 14 (93%) States Parties. Twelve of 14 (86%) fulfilled their requirements by 15 June 2012; those that had not yet met the requirements requested extensions and submitted plans describing how the IHR core capacities would be met.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adapting the 2012 IHRMQ for this purpose provided an efficient tool for assessing national capacity to implement Annex 1 of IHR (2005) and provided clear indication of what capacities required strengthening.
authors: Public Health Consultant, Sydney, Australia .
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Craig
authors: Jacob
authors: J
authors: Kool
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Nilles
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011634:Public Health; D012926:Social Control, Formal