Global Governance and Public Health: Obstacles and Opportunities [Hardcover]

Global health issues transcend national borders and state sovereignty. As a result, a collective response at the international level is necessary to effectively address these problems. This response, however, is not simply based on medical expertise or technology, but is largely dependent on politics. Health has become inextricably linked to policies developed by global governance, whether these policies involve the surveillance and the prevention of the spread of infectious disease across borders, the distribution and consumption of goods that pose a health risk through international commerce, the right to quality health for everyone, or the protection of human health from climate change and environmental degradation.

International relations theories provide a key analytical tool for understanding the dynamics of the political process in global governance in addressing health issues in an increasingly globalized world. Each chapter will features boxes highlighting case studies relevant to the material, discussion questions, and suggested readings.

Cockerham (political science, Utah Valley Univ.) identifies the role of theories of international relations in global heath and global health governance. The first chapter covers theories such as realism and neorealism, liberalism and neoliberalism, constructivism, Marxism, and Neo-Marxism. Cockerham applies these theories to expectations of global health governance, and three major themes are addressed. First, theories are used to assess the barriers and opportunities that confront global health governance. Second, Cockerham examines the increasing importance of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and non-state organizations to promote public health. Examples of these IGOs include the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the UnilcW