WHO

Recommendations for Member States

1. Member States must prioritize achievement of the required International Health Regulations core capacities for surveillance and response, and at designated points of entry under Annex 1 of IHR (2005), as well as capacities necessary to implement all of the many other provisions of the IHR directly relevant to disinsection and vector control.
2. Member States should undertake a risk assessment relating to the probability of the importation of mosquito vectors, the presence of mosquito vectors and the probability of infected persons entering the country and use this to inform their disinsection policies.
3. In line with the IHR requirements, Member States should ensure that airports (and other points of entry) are free of sources of infection, including mosquito vectors and reservoirs. This may require a perimeter exceeding 400 metres (IHR Art. 22b, Annex 5.4).
4. Member States/airlines/airports professionals should improve consistency of disinsection practices.
5. Member States should take measures to strengthen awareness of the importance of vector control measures and instructions and training by national/ aviation/ competent authorities/ airlines/ airport authorities for crews/ airport professionals/other contractors to assure correct procedures (including Standard Operating Procedures).
6. Member States should ensure dissemination of accurate information on the WHO recommended products (and relevant national regulations); and the safety of disinsection methods and products.
7. Member States should facilitate and reduce barriers to the process of regulatory approval of novel methods and products which can be used for disinsection, making use of WHO recommendations when possible.

Recommendations for WHO Secretariat

1. The ad-hoc advisory group recommends to the WHO Secretariat, on the basis of positive experience regarding pre-embarkation disinsection used in Australia and New Zealand, to consider including pre-embarkation disinsection as an additional WHO recommended method; the Emergency Committee on Zika and the WHO Director-General should consider including this method in a temporary recommendation or other advice on aircraft disinsection.
2. WHO should provide guidelines for the risk assessment of pathogen importation by Member States and make a global map available classifying areas on the basis of presence of mosquito vector species and pathogens.
3. WHO should develop a framework for assessment and recommendation of new vector-control approaches, applicable to both chemical and non-chemical methods.
4. WHO should publish its recommendations on disinsection practices in a clear format similar to those in Australia/New Zealand.

Recommendations for future research

1. Assess the mechanisms and impact of mosquito vector resistance to pyrethroids;
2. Clarify/establish the pathways by which the international spread of mosquito vector-borne pathogens is occurring and the extent to which air travel contributes to the international spread;
3. Clarify/establish the pathways by which the international spread of mosquito vectors is occurring and the extent to which air travel contributes to the international spread;
4. Explore the use of risk-modelling approaches to map mosquito vector presence and inform mosquito vector control programmes;
5. Explore new chemical and non-chemical methods for disinsection, such as air blowers and net curtains, including also strategies combining multiple approaches.

About IHR

The International Health Regulations, or IHR (2005), represent an agreement between 196 countries including all WHO Member States to work together for global health security.

Through IHR, countries have agreed to build their capacities to detect, assess and report public health events. WHO plays the coordinating role in IHR and, together with its partners, helps countries to build capacities.

IHR also includes specific measures at ports, airports and ground crossings to limit the spread of health risks to neighboring countries, and to prevent unwarranted travel and trade restrictions so that traffic and trade disruption is kept to a minimum.

WHO's work in coordinating IHR implementation is lead by the Department of Global Capacities Alert and Response.

• IHR and WHO reform

12th Programme of work 
The IHR is one of the 6 leadership priorities of the WHO programme of work, which purpose is to promote health and well-being.

• Key documents

International Health Regulations (2005)

International Health Regulations (2005): Areas of work for implementation

• IHR Technical notes

IHR brief no.1: Introduction to the IHR (2005)
IHR brief no.2: Notification and other reporting requirements under the IHR (2005)
IHR brief no.3: Points of entry under the IHR (2005)

Are you informed?

• Ten things you need to do to implement the IHR
• Frequently asked questions about IHR (2005)