International Health Regulations (1969): adopted by the Twenty-second World Health Assembly in 1969 and amended by the Twenty-sixth World Health Assembly in 1973 and the Thirty-fourth World Health Assembly in 1981

Contains the text of the International Health Regulations in force as of 1 January 1982, together with interpretations and recommendations made by the Twenty-second and subsequent World Health Assemblies, as well as those made by a committee commissioned to submit recommendations on practice, methods, and procedure relating to international surveillance of communicable diseases. The Regulations, which were originally adopted in 1969, specify the obligations of governments concerning the notification of communicable diseases and are intended to ensure the maximum security against the international spread of diseases with a minimum interference with world traffic. Revisions in this third annotated edition are intended to strengthen the use of epidemiological principles as applied internationally to detect, reduce, or eliminate the sources from which infection spreads, to improve sanitation in and around ports and airports, and to prevent the spread of vectors. Articles in the Regulations also specify the measures and procedures of health protection to be followed on departure, between ports or airports of departure and arrival, on arrival, and concerning the international transport of cargo, goods, baggage, and mail.