Italy Rejects WHO Health Regulation Amendments, Sides with US Position

In a July 18 letter to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus, Italian Health Minister Orazio Schillaci formally declared Italy’s rejection of all 2024 amendments to the International Health Regulations. The amendments, adopted during the 77th World Health Assembly, aim to establish a legally binding framework for addressing public health emergencies. Italy’s move aligns the country with the United States’ stance on the revisions. The communication explicitly invoked Article 61 of the International Health Regulations (2005) as the legal basis for the rejection, stating: “Pursuant to Article 61 of the International Health Regulations (2005), through this letter I notify you of the Italian side’s rejection of all adopted amendments.”