Press Release: European countries gather to consult on new regulations to meet the international public health challenges of the 21st century, June 2004

In recent years, diseases such as SARS, Ebola and avian influenza, the threat of bioterrorism, and mass international travel that accelerates the spread of infection around the world have presented us with new public health challenges.

On 9-11 June 2004, representatives of 46 European countries met in Copenhagen to discuss revisions to the International Health Regulations, the basic agreement that guides our response to such problems. The current regulations have been slightly modified only twice since they were first adopted in 1969. The three-day session took place at the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO).

• Primary Source

http://www.who.dk/eprise/main/who/progs/csr/cooperation/20040528_2 http://www.who.dk/eprise/main/who/progs/csr/cooperation/20040528_2

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