Submission ID 116990
| Issue/Objective | The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath exposed the vulnerabilities of global health governance, particularly funding volatility and geopolitical shifts weakened pandemic preparedness. The U.S. withdrawal from WHO and USAID highlights the risks of overdependence on global institutions. This study argues that strengthening regional health governance within the Inter-American System offers a more resilient and equitable framework. By embedding principles of equity, solidarity, and decolonization, this approach centers an equitable pandemic management system in the human rights agenda of the Inter-American system. |
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| Methodology/Approach | The study undertakes a comparative legal analysis of regional and sub-regional health governance initiatives across the globe to evaluate their effectiveness, challenges and shortcomings for pandemic preparedness work. The study engages with decolonization discourse in global health to examine how colonial histories have shaped inequitable health policies and outcomes across the Americas. By analyzing secondary data on the impact of equity on pandemic responses across the Americas, the research will generate policy recommendations for strengthening equity and human rights in future pandemic preparedness and response. |
| Results | Preliminary findings reveal that (1) a regional health governance approach holds greater promise than the existing global health governance approach of the WHO for mobilizing states accustomed to collaborating in solidarity (both on a government-to-government and people- to-people basis) to collectively and equitably address shared health threats; (2) a regional health governance approach can complement WHO's role in global health by alleviating some of the shortcomings associated with the current global health governance framework around equitable pandemic management; and (3) regionalizing global health governance advances decolonization by decentralizing decision-making on health priorities. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | This research contributes to the Global Health Security subtheme by demonstrating how a regionalized approach to health governance can enhance pandemic preparedness, resilience, and responsiveness to climate and geopolitical disruptions. By reinforcing regional health governance within the Inter-American System, states can reduce dependence on unstable global mechanisms, build stronger cross-border collaborations, and ensure more adaptive, community-centered health policies. Ultimately, this study advocates for a transformative shift in global health governance that moves beyond top-down decision-making to foster equitable horizontal, regionally driven solutions. |
| Presenters and affiliations | UCHECHUKWU NGWABA Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University Aminah Haghighi Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University |
