The failure of global public health governance : a forensic analysis

Abstract

COVID-19 has underlined the fact that in a context of recurring pandemics, public health is a basic global public good, the provision of which presupposes effective and timely collective action at global level. In this context, this paper positions global public health governance in the wider debate on the reform of international governance arrangements. It sets out a framework for understanding the failings – and some successes – of the different phases of the international response to COVID-19. It examines how ingredients that have been found to be important in global governance arrangements in a number of policy areas, manifest themselves in the pandemic response. Finally, the paper assesses the positive development of the decision to work towards a new pandemic treaty against the broader reform agenda of global health security governance. In this context it reviews how institutions and processes can be reformed to ensure they are better prepared for prevention, management, and mitigation of the effects of the next pandemic.