New WHO Collaborative Centre for IHR - Points of Entry in China (AQSIQ)

In July 2014, WHO has designated a new collaborating Centre for IHR – Points of Entry with the Health Quarantine and Inspection Department of the General Administration of Quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China, in order to have their support in the development of global technical guidance, tools,  networks and activities related to core capacity building in the context of International Health Regulations (IHR), such as for development of a global vector identification platform. Several areas within WHO will be working with this Collaborating Centre, such as West Pacific Regional Office – WPRO, The Global Capacities Alert and Response Department (GCR)/Support to IHR Capacity Development Unit (SID)/Port, Airports and Ground Crossings team (PAG) and the Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases Department/HTM.
The expected benefits for this collaboration are:
1. Preserving legacy for vector identification at points of entry in terms of knowledge and trained human resources;
2. Knowledge transfer and experience sharing with partners and member states in vector identification, as well as in public health impacts resulted from vector migration through international travel and transport;
3. Providing global evidence for vector migration and associated vector-diseases;
4. Creation of pool of experts trained on vector surveillance and control at Point of entry, including aircraft disinsection;
5. Good practice performance on vector surveillance and control at points of entry worldwide;
6. Supporting implementation of IHR at points of entry;
7. Building a pool of experts and strengthening human resource capacity on IHR implementation at points of entry;
8. Establishment of WHO Airport and Port Certification procedure according to IHR Article 20.4.

More information on the WHO Collaborating Centres can be found at: http://who.int/collaboratingcentres/en/