Abstract

This article analyzes the current challenges of global health governance in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This event brought several institutional design issues previously faced by the World Health Organization (WHO) to light. It is argued that the nationalistic responses of a series of governments weakened the WHO's capacity for action. This calls for a critical evaluation of global health governance. Accordingly, this article evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the WHO as a coordinator of national public health policies. It also assesses the WHO's capability to promote the International Health Regulations (IHR) among member states. Several perspectives on WHO reform in three strategic areas (political, institutional, and operational) are also discussed.