Global Health Institute

Students at Georgetown like to say that global bureaucratic institutions do not work well, that no one reads their reports, or that high-level meetings are ineffective. While there may be some truth in those statements, following the World Health Organization (WHO) over the past few weeks has made me think twice about these criticisms. The WHO recently published three documents that honor several promises made by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, for improving the organization and finding better health solutions. The documents include the World Malaria Report 2018, the 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13) WHO Impact Framework, and the Declaration of Astana. Together, they recognize the global trend towards country agency and a need for primary care, even in the context of infectious disease control.

In our increasingly connected world, there are constant opportunities for viruses to spread internationally. These public health emergencies demand cooperation and collaboration from numerous actors, and those tasked with running outbreak response must balance various competing interests to reduce the spread of these deadly pathogens. Preparing and responding to outbreaks is challenging, and merits further understanding and improvement.