CM18.1-3 | International Health — Glossary

A government-funded development agency of one country (e.g. USAID for the US, FCDO for the UK) providing aid and technical assistance to other countries, including health programmes.

The Vaccine Alliance — a public-private partnership established 2000 that finances and facilitates equitable vaccine access for low- and middle-income countries.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria — an independent international financing mechanism established 2002, providing performance-based grants to country-led programmes.

Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network — a WHO-coordinated network of over 250 institutions providing rapid response capacity for international disease outbreaks.

Legally binding framework for 196 states parties that governs cross-border disease event notification, core capacity obligations, and WHO's authority during international health emergencies.

The branch of public health that addresses health problems, determinants, and responses that transcend national boundaries and require multilateral cooperation.

A voluntary multisectoral IHR 2005 core capacity assessment — a structured peer-review process where external experts evaluate a country's readiness to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats.

National Centre for Disease Control — India's designated national IHR 2005 focal point, responsible for receiving, assessing, and notifying potential PHEICs to WHO.

A collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach — at local, regional, national and global levels — recognising that the health of people, animals, and ecosystems are interconnected (WHO-FAO-WOAH framework).

An extraordinary event under IHR 2005, determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through international spread, requiring coordinated international response — declared by the WHO Director-General.

WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, headquartered in New Delhi, covering 11 member states including India.

A composite index co-monitored by WHO and World Bank measuring the coverage of 14 essential health service tracer interventions, used to track progress toward Universal Health Coverage.

India's initiative launched January 2021 to export COVID-19 vaccines (primarily Covishield) to other countries as grants and commercial sales before achieving domestic vaccination coverage targets.

The directing and coordinating authority for international health within the UN system, established 1948, headquartered Geneva, governing body is the World Health Assembly.