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Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology | Volume 3
November 11-12, 2019 | Singapore
International Conference on
3
rd
International Conference on
Pathology and Infectious Diseases
Pathology and Oncology Research
Joint Event
&
J Infectious Disease Med Microbiol
| Volume 3
Rethinking global health governance in a changing international order: can innovative
‘soft power’ diplomacy of the ‘rising powers’ (rps) contribute to the significant progress
in advancing treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in the global south ?
Franklyn Lisk
University of Warwick, United Kingdom
T
his idea of this presentation stems largely from the
dismal experience and lessons from the initially slow
and relatively ineffective global response to both the 2014-
16 West African and the current Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) Ebola virus epidemic. In the light of the end
of the liberal international order (witness Trump’s ‘America
First’ approach in international relations ) and decline in
the importance of global institutions and the multilateral
system, the presentation will argue that the ‘Rising Powers’
(RPs) of the larger emerging economies in the global South
(e.g. China, India, the presentation will argue that South
Korea, Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia, etc. ) can move in and play a
‘leadership’ or influential role in championing amuch-needed
reform to the global health architecture aimed at improving
the global response to epidemics and infectious diseases.
The prominence of health-related objectives among the
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agenda 2030,
provides an opportunity for the RPs to use their increasingly
influential role in the international development cooperation
landscape, particularly soft-power diplomacy, to precipitate
innovations in global health governance. Over the past
decade, some RPs have incorporated distinct healthcare
improvement projects in their development assistance
programmes in African and other developing countries. In
2017, the RPs were instrumental in securing the election of
the African Union-supported candidate (Ethiopia’s Foreign
Minister) to head the global health body, the WHO, which
is an indication of the RPs’ potential ability to introduce
reforms and innovations in the global health architecture
from the ‘inside’. Prior to this, the BRICS group of RPs -
(Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) - were already
becoming a new force in global health, especially in terms of
their material support for strengthening of domestic health
systems to address infectious diseases and progress towards
universal health coverage. It is from this perspective that the
presentation will call for a combination of the RPs’ health
diplomacy and development partnership as an important tool
for responding to post-2015 global health challenges. The
presentation will come up with suggestions regarding specific
approaches and actions that can be embraced by the RPs
towardwhat is needed for: (1) stimulating innovation in global
health governance; and (2) strengthening health systems and
health security at country and regional levels for improved
response to the treatment and control of infectious diseases.
These suggestions are premised on the understanding that
both development challenges and economic situations are
changing in the developing regions and, therefore, the global
order needs to adapt. While current deliberations on global
health policy tend to focus largely on what will be needed to
achieve new health targets set in the SDGs, the presentation
– in identifying a ‘leadership’ role for the RPs - will argue
that more is needed on ‘how’ to respond to post-2015
health challenges. How can the RPs be a champion for global
governance reform and innovation that is aimed at producing
strong, resilient and equitable global systems that enable all
people to live healthy lives? How can the rising powers use
soft power diplomacy to enhance disease surveillance and
detection capacities, as well as promote improved regional
and international coordination in responding to epidemics
and emerging health threats? How can the rising provide
incentives for investment in R&D and manufacturing of
medicines to tackle neglected and poverty-related diseases?
e
:
lisk@warwick.ac.uk