Global health governance
Etablissement : ESPOL European School of Political and Social Sciences
Langue : Anglais
Formation(s) dans laquelle/lesquelles le cours apparait :
Période : S3
This course is designed to introduce students with the challenges related to the governance of health at a global level. By the end of the course, students will:
• Understand the historical dynamics of North–South inequalities in global health governance.
• Acquire knowledge of the evolution of international health law, understand the role of major global institutions, and critically assess the fragmented architecture of global health governance and its impact on power distribution, resource allocation, and priority-setting.
• Students will learn to analyze major obstacles to achieving universal health coverage, with a particular focus on access to medicines and intellectual property protection mechanisms as described in the TRIPS Agreement (e.g. technology transfer mechanisms).
• Develop skills in analyzing and debating both historical and contemporary issues of multilateral governance in the field of global health.
The course will cover:
• Historical foundations: evolution of international health law and the rise of global health institutions.
• North–South inequalities: structural drivers (e.g. epistemic domination), persistent asymmetries and global power relations.
• Institutional and financial architecture: focus on major actors in global health governance, (WHO, GAVI, Global Fund, MSF etc.), their modes of interaction, and their financing mechanisms.
• Fragmentation and coordination challenges: overlapping mandates, competition, and consequences for policy coherence.
• Normative frameworks: principles (equity, sovereignty, self-reliance, right to health, global public goods) and legal instruments (hard and soft law instruments, e.g. Pandemic Agreement, International Health Regulations, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework).
• Case studies: in-depth analysis of selected examples of pandemic preparedness and response, access to medicines and vaccines, and global health financing.
