International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Business as Usual: A Lack of Institutional Innovation in Global Health Governance; Comment on “Global Health Governance Challenges 2016 – Are We Ready?”

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Kelley Lee
Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
10.15171/ijhpm.2016.113
Abstract
There were once again high expectations that a major global health event - the Ebola virus outbreak of 2014-2015 - would trigger meaningfully World Health Organization (WHO) reform and strengthen global health governance (GHG). Rather than a “turning point,” however, the global community has gone back to business as usual. This has occurred against a backdrop of worldwide political turmoil, characterised by a growing rejection of existing political leaders and state-centric institutions. Debates about GHG so far have given insufficient attention to the need for institutional innovation. This entails rethinking the traditional bureaucratic model of postwar intergovernmental organizations which is disconnected from the transboundary, fast-paced nature of today’s globalizing world.
Keywords
Global Health Governance (GHG)
World Health Organization (WHO) Reform
Globalization
Institutional Innovation
Subjects
  1. Kickbusch I.  Global health governance challenges 2016 - are we ready?  Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016;5(6):349-353. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.27
  2. Elliot L. Brexit is a rejection of globalization.  Guardian. June 26, 2016.  https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jun/26/brexit-is-the-rejection-of-globalisation
  3. Colvin G.  Donald Trump Plays Off Globalization Anger.  Fortune. July 22, 2016. http://fortune.com/2016/07/22/donald-trump-plays-off-globalization-anger/
  4. 4.     World Health Organization (WHO).  Renewed partnerships build momentum for WHO’s new Health Emergencies Programme.  Geneva: WHO; 2016.  http://www.who.int/about/who_reform/emergency-capacities/health-emergencies-programme/en/
  5. 5.     Kamradt-Scott A. WHO’s to blame? The World Health Organization and the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa.  Third World Q. 2016;37(3):401-418. doi:10.1080/01436597.2015.1112232
  6. 6.     Huang Y.  How to Reform the Ailing World Health Organization.  Council on Foreign Relations. May 3, 2016.  http://www.cfr.org/health/reform-ailing-world-health-organization/p37831
  7. Garrett L. Secret vote on WHO bodes ill for future of global health.  Humanospere.  May 23, 2016.  http://www.humanosphere.org/world-politics/2016/05/secret-vote-on-who-bodes-ill-for-future-of-global-health/
  8. Falk R. A New World Order? ISIS and the Sykes-Picot Backlash.  Foreign Policy Journal. December 26, 2015.  http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2015/12/26/a-new-world-order-isis-and-the-sykes-picot-backlash/
  9. Huntingdon S. The Lonely Superpower.  Foreign Aff. 1999;78(2):35-49.
  10. [1] Churchill W. Remarks at US White House Luncheon, June 26, 1954.
  11. World Trade Organization (WTO).  The Doha Development Agenda, Doha launches negotiations, TNC oversees them.  Geneva: WTO; 2003.  https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/minist_e/min03_e/brief_e/brief02_e.htm
  12. 12.   Oxfam.  An Economy for the 1%.  Oxfam Briefing Paper.  January 18, 2016.  https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/bp210-economy-one-percent-tax-havens-180116-en_0.pdf .
  13. Gill S, Benatar S. Global Health Governance and Global Power:  A Critical Commentary on the Lancet-University of Oslo Commission Report.  Int J Health Serv. 2016;46(2):346-365. doi:10.1177/0020731416631734
  14. International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.  Giant Leak of Offshore Financial Records Exposes Global Array of Crime and Corruption.  https://panamapapers.icij.org/20160403-panama-papers-global-overview.html. Published April 2016.
  15. Electorate Tremors: The Era of the Angry Voter Is Upon Us.  Der Speigel. July 6, 2016.  http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/brexit-the-era-of-the-angry-voter-is-upon-us-a-1101438.html
  16. Weber M.  Economy and Society (Reprint).  New York:  Bedminster Press; 1968.
  17. Jamali D, Khoury G, Sahyoun H.  From bureaucratic organizations to learning organizations.  The Learning Organization. 2006;13(4):337-352. doi:10.1108/09696470610667724
  18. Hagel J, Brown J.  Institutional Innovation.  Deloitte University Press; 2013.  http://dupress.com/articles/institutional-innovation/
  19. IBM.  New York Times. June 15, 2011.
  20. Denning S.  Why did IBM Survive?  Forbes. July 10, 2011.  http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/07/10/why-did-ibm-survive/#292c643719b1.
  21. About BlueDot.   BlueDot website. http://bluedot.global/about
  22. Doner R, ed.  Explaining Institutional Innovation, Case Studies from Latin America and East Asia.  Social Science Research Council; 2010. 
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 6, Issue 3
2017
Pages 165-168

  • Received Date 31 July 2016
  • Revised Date 09 August 2016
  • Accepted Date 10 August 2016
  • First Published Date 01 March 2017
  • Published Date 01 March 2017