Slovakia the only country to distance itself from new WHO health regulations

Slovakia is the only country in the world that has dissociated itself from the new amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR), reports Denník N daily.

After two years of negotiations, the amendments were passed at the end of May. More than 190 countries approved. Slovakia's position surprised many.

The goal of the IHR is to prevent the international spread of disease, improve the sharing of information and methods to combat a pandemic, conduct surveillance for potential health threats of all kinds, among other things. This is to be followed by a treaty with the World Health Organisation (WHO), which will grant the final form to how the cooperation should look. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, countries around the world themselves wanted the amendments to happen.

The Health Ministry headed by Zuzana Dolinková (Hlas) confirmed Slovakia's decision, claiming that countries were not given enough time to study the amendments agreed upon during the May meeting. The ministry did not explain what Slovakia's dissociation entails. According to sources the daily spoke to, for example, Slovakia will not have information and vaccines as quickly available as other countries.

Upon approving the amendments, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that, "Tonight we have all won and the world has won. You have made the world safer."

PM Robert Fico's government was against the so-called pandemic treaty with the WHO for a long time. In November of last year, he said that Slovakia would not support it, saying that it was the result of "pharmacompany lobby".

International shame

At the Geneva meeting, Slovakia was represented by known anti-vaxxer and Slovak National Party (SNS) MP Peter Kotlár. In January, he was appointed the government's special envoy for the investigation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Previously, he campaigned against vaccines and called Covid-19 a biological weapon.

According to Slovak health experts, this is a major international shame.

The Slovak Chamber of Pharmacists (SLeK) called Slovakia's position wrong. The Association of Outpatient Providers (ZAP) is also criticising the decision. "This is an international embarrassment and backwards thinking, but above all it puts the health of individuals and all society at risk with tragic consequences," the ZAP wrote on social media. The Association of Private Doctors (ASL) talks about putting patients and health care professionals at risk.

On June 11, Minister Dolinková announced that she will bolster and expand the current interdepartmental working group, which was established following the adoption of the original international health regulations, with experts from various departments and interested parties. Its task will be to evaluate the updated documents prepared by the WHO.