Extrapolating Insights from the COVID-19Pandemic for the Advancement of GlobalHealth Policy and Practice: The Imperativeof an International Pandemic Treaty

Abstract

The advent of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in 2019 sparked a coordinated global response, which was spearheaded by the World Health Organization and many nation-states. Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed the landscape of global health governance. Whether this changing worldview can promote world unity in the face of escalating populist nationalism and the rise of statism is still an open question. It also calls for a nuanced assessment of the structural constraints that must be overcome in order to address the complex issues at hand, including the pressing need to improve global health institutions and governance frameworks in light of the pandemic’s extensive societal, economic, and human disruptions. Relatedly, to outline the broad implications of COVID-19 on global health policy and practice, this paper conducts a thorough analysis of the relevant primary and secondary literature. It also argues that institutional interventions supported by the World Health Organization could improve results for people all across the world. However, it is crucial to stress that, in contrast to what is discussed in this study, the results of recent research suggest that the effectiveness of these measures may not be inescapably dependent on the creation of a formal pandemic treaty.