Week 9: Covid-19 and Global Governance Presentation PDF

Week 9: Covid-19 and Global Governance Dr C Moore [email protected]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAfZlnbtioY 01 02 03 04 05 INTRODUCTION FAILURE OF IMPACT ON THE ROLE OF THE CONCLUSION GLOBAL...

Week 9: Covid-19 and Global Governance Dr C Moore [email protected]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAfZlnbtioY 01 02 03 04 05 INTRODUCTION FAILURE OF IMPACT ON THE ROLE OF THE CONCLUSION GLOBAL GLOBAL SOUTH WHO HEALTH GOVERNANCE? Outline Why did GHG fail? Conduct of Powerful States To really explain the failure of States’ reluctance to à Trump and others blamed Global Health Governance, à Trump’s hostility to sacrifice sovereignty à WHO subservience to China however, we must explain multilateralism and failure of WHO not empowered to for sluggishness in declaring US leadership why global governance as enforce compliance with the PHEIC (dismissed as a cover state transformation has IHR “it failed by design” for US failures domestically) failed in the case of the WHO “From this perspective, GHG Jones and Hameiri (2022) failed because states lacked locate their argument in the necessary capacities to domestic politics: state manage COVID-19, not capacity, authority and because the WHO lacked accountability need to be authority over them” rebuilt Global governance as state transformation 1. IT IS INHERENTLY 2. IT HAS A DEPOLITICIZED, DE- 3. DOMESTIC SOCIO-POLITICAL 4. HOBBLING OF IOS BY CONTRADICTORY à DEMOCRATIZED APPROACH POWER RELATIONS CONDITION POWERFUL STATES NEOLIBERAL PRACTICES NEEDED THAT RESULTS IN GAPS IN IMPLEMENTATION TO IMPLEMENT IT, BUT THESE GLOBAL GOVERNANCE SAME PRACTICES HOLLOW OUT AGENDAS (THINGS AGREED TO THE STATE AT WHO) AND DOMESTIC POLITICAL PROCESSES Impact on the Global South Rich and poor countries experience the pandemic very differently In wealthy countries, economic losses are often mitigated by government programmes, employer adjustments or household savings Income declines à economic activity contracted the world over: consumption and work habits modified à this impacts on informal economy (25%+ of the economic activity and half of all workers in Global South) Health impacts may be lower, given relatively youthful populations in Lower-to-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) Poorer countries also less connected to trade and travel à exposed to pandemic later and could learn  Food insecurity greatly increased à For LMICs, the economic crisis may become a health and social disaster as well This is potentially intergenerational as well, as the developmental impacts in childhood can affect people into adulthood. The economic shock was compounded by difficulties accessing markets (food and other supplies) (due to lockdowns and restrictions on mobility); similar difficulties accessing healthcare  Other areas of child development greatly affected, beyond food security à Schools closed for protracted periods of time Prenatal clinics and vaccination sites also limited Rising rates of domestic violence “Following on decades of steadily increasing incomes across major world regions, the sharp rise in global poverty in 2020 that we document is unprecedented” (Egger et al, 2021: 9)  Further viral spread is linked to the extent of economic deprivation and successful containment is linked to economic relief à people will be less likely/ less able to social distance if they need an income that depends on interaction with others Complications Relief is affected by the impact on donor countries, for relief which was similarly large (still reeling from the global economic recession of 2008) à they may turn their efforts attention to their own challenges domestically (many have) Optimistically: some of the innovations made in times of crisis could spur longterm economic development Short- and long-term impacts Social impact: catalyst for divergence in life-preserving public sector interventions (McCann and Matenga) Reversing a decade of progress on poverty à 400-580 million additional people will face extreme poverty Global economic contraction PLUS breakdown in social support. Hardest hit are those historically subject to economic volatility, colonialism and exploitation Anti-trafficking measures could not operate, but trafficking continued unabated and even increased. International self-interest early in the pandemic ROLE OF THE WHO Specialised health agency of the UN World Health Organisation, 194 member states Mission is to: promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable International Health Regulations (first adopted in 1969 and revised in 2005) – an instrument of international law that aims for international collaboration to “prevent, protect against, control, and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease in ways that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risks and that avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.” In terms of this WHO and States’ responsibilities in global health crises are spelled out Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) à 6 times (including COVID19) Twice it has faced criticism (H1N1 – over-exaggerated and Ebola – under-reacted) Role of the WHO Post war: WHO was involved in building states’ domestic healthcare capacity Neoliberal revolt à placed under donor control; pro-market meta-governance 1978: Alma Ata Declaration By 2000s, its work was redirected from “broad-based support for public health capacity building toward narrowly-specified interventions” (Jones and Hameiri, 2022: 2067) Traditionally: Gathering intelligence Convening research collaboration Compiling technical guidelines for dealing with health challenges and emergencies etc. US withdrew funding and membership + 73rd World Health Assembly (decision- making body of the WHO) delegates undertook to evaluate the WHO’s role in the global Covid-19 crisis and going forward (Lee and Piper, 2021)  Frustrations seem out of WHO place, given à Frustrations Governance structure that and criticisms puts power in the hands of states Budget that makes it a hostage to fortune Constitution that gives it no enforcement powers  4 approaches to Reform of the WHO Is the WHO Post war relic Disconnect between aspiration and reality due for Isolationists v internationalists retirement? Refurbishing New departments added since the 1940s Tensions between biomedical and social approaches to health the WHO with Growth of new initiatives outside the WHO add-ons? WHO as WHO has become marginalised But can act as coordinator of a global network of health actors network WHO still has capabilities to rapidly mobilise coordinator? Fundamental reimagining Innovation in WHO is too old to function properly in the current environment Global Health Build new global institutions Governance Conclusion Various scholars are agreed: Covid has been a disaster for developing countries and the full consequences have not yet been seen. The WHO’s role in the crisis has been questioned, and the pandemic has presented the organization with an existential crisis.