Objective To explore social equity, health planning, regulatory and ethical dilemmas in
responding to a pandemic influenza (H5N1) outbreak, and the adequacy of protocols and
standards such as the International Health Regulations (2005). Approach This paper
analyses the role of legal and ethical considerations for pandemic preparedness, including
an exploration of the relevance of cross‐jurisdictional and cross‐cultural perspectives in
assessing the validity of goals for harmonisation of laws and policies both within and …