Health governance

Kendall Stiles and Kristen Waters

Chapter 6 in Understanding Global Governance, 2026, pp 128-159 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Knowledge of how diseases spread was in its infancy during the 1700s, and it wasn’t until the second half of the nineteenth century that governments began to understand their role in protecting their citizens and promoting global health. Most of this involved establishing quarantines and travel restrictions for those who might be carrying communicable diseases. During the inter-war period, governments, joined by associations of scientists, made great strides in creating new rules and institutions to promote public health. This continued after World War II with the development of semi-autonomous global health agencies that helped dramatically reduce illness and extend life. In more recent years, some diseases have proven very resistant to treatment, and some officials in Western governments have come to doubt time-tested strategies.

Keywords: Disease; Epidemic; Pandemic; Quarantine; Vaccination; Public health emergencies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035358496
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