Background and objective:
The International Health Regulations (IHR) is a legal instrument that sets out to control infectious disease epidemics worldwide and that makes countries accountable for monitoring and notifying the World Health Organization (WHO) of any event that could constitute a public health emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic set an unprecedented challenge to the IHR commitments and so this scoping review sets out to identify the challenges, successes and limitations of the IHR during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:
We conducted a scoping review following a PRISMA methodology of the following online databases and sources: PubMed and SCOPUS. Only articles mentioning both IHR and COVID-19 were eligible. Eligible articles were then read by two reviewers independently and in duplicate. A total of 15 articles between 2020 and 2022 met the criteria and were included.

Results:
Most articles refer to the IHR as still a vital instrument in Public Health action especially in Health Emergency situations, but most countries faced limitations in its implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reinforcing the global health security strategy, reviewing the IHR to address current challenges and strengthening the commitment of countries and states to comply with its resolutions, are key lessons mentioned.

Conclusion:
The lessons learned from this scoping review should act as a warning sign that the IHR should be reviewed and updated to meet current societies’ requirements. A more effective response grounded on the IHR is needed to face upcoming and expected events of COVID-19’s magnitude and severity.