Concluding remarks
This paper reports the first global surveillance system for acute
chemical incidents of potential international concern. The lack
of global data on the occurrence of chemical incidents of potential
international concern makes planning for major incidents
difficult. With approximately 70% of events identified within
24 hours of occurrence, there is still scope to improve the sensitivity,
timeliness and geographical coverage of the surveillance
system by adding more information sources. Despite these
limitations, the results of this WHO initiative provide a useful
baseline for further development of this system. The system can
also contribute to improving public health preparedness
and provide an estimate of the frequency and geographical
distribution of chemical incidents of potential international
concern.