Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong, UB/F, Patrick Manson Building, 7 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
Global Health. 2021 Jun 21;17(1):62. doi: 10.1186/s12992-021-00709-0.
The near universal adoption of cross-border health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has prompted significant debate about their effectiveness and compliance with international law. The number of measures used, and the range of measures applied, have far exceeded previous public health emergencies of international concern. However, efforts to advance research, policy and practice to support their effective use has been hindered by a lack of clear and consistent definition.
Based on a review of existing datasets for cross-border health measures, such as the Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker and World Health Organization Public Health and Social Measures, along with analysis of secondary and grey literature, we propose six categories to define measures more clearly and consistently - policy goal, type of movement (travel and trade), adopted by public or private sector, level of jurisdiction applied, stage of journey, and degree of restrictiveness. These categories are then brought together into a proposed typology that can support research with generalizable findings and comparative analyses across jurisdictions. Addressing the current gaps in evidence about travel measures, including how different jurisdictions apply such measures with varying effects, in turn, enhances the potential for evidence-informed decision-making based on fuller understanding of policy trade-offs and externalities. Finally, through the adoption of standardized terminology and creation of an agreed evidentiary base recognized across jurisdictions, the typology can support efforts to strengthen coordinated global responses to outbreaks and inform future efforts to revise the WHO International Health Regulations (2005).
The widespread use of cross-border health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted significant reflection on available evidence, previous practice and existing legal frameworks. The typology put forth in this paper aims to provide a starting point for strengthening research, policy and practice.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间，全球范围内近乎普遍采用跨境卫生措施，这引发了关于其有效性和是否符合国际法的激烈争论。所采用的措施数量和应用范围远远超过了以往国际关注的突发公共卫生事件。然而，由于缺乏明确和一致的定义，推进支持其有效使用的研究、政策和实践的努力受到了阻碍。
基于对跨境卫生措施现有数据集的审查，例如牛津冠状病毒政府应对追踪器和世界卫生组织公共卫生和社会措施，以及对二手和灰色文献的分析，我们提出了六个类别来更清晰和一致地定义措施 - 政策目标、移动类型（旅行和贸易）、由公共或私营部门采用、适用的管辖级别、旅行阶段和限制程度。然后将这些类别合并为一个提议的分类法，该分类法可以支持具有普遍适用性的研究，并进行跨司法管辖区的比较分析。解决有关旅行措施的当前证据差距问题，包括不同司法管辖区如何应用具有不同效果的此类措施，反过来又增强了基于对政策权衡和外部性的更全面理解的循证决策的潜力。最后，通过采用标准化术语和创建跨司法管辖区认可的商定证据基础，分类法可以支持加强全球对疫情的协调应对，并为未来修订世界卫生组织《国际卫生条例（2005）》的努力提供信息。
在 COVID-19 大流行期间广泛使用跨境卫生措施促使人们对现有证据、以往做法和现有法律框架进行了深入反思。本文提出的分类法旨在为加强研究、政策和实践提供一个起点。
