International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Public Health Governance and Pandemic Response: Global and Local Perspectives

The governance frameworks that influence pandemic response have received fresh attention due to the exceptional scope and complexity of contemporary global health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for more flexible, comprehensive, and context-sensitive approaches by exposing the advantages and disadvantages of centralized public health systems. In this scenario, decentralized public health governance, which emphasizes the division of power, accountability, and resources among various levels of governance, has become a crucial paradigm in this changing environment. The importance of local authorities, which serve as the main channel of contact between the government and the people during a public health crisis, is central to this paradigm. With an emphasis on the roles and capabilities of local governments, the article explores the crucial role of both global and local actors in public health governance and pandemic responses. The paper also examines how local institutions perform the global health governance tasks including monitoring, risk dissemination, delivering services, and social protection in order to support disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery. It emphasizes how local governments may more successfully identify risks, engage local assets, and carry out customized interventions when they are close to communities. The study also critically assesses functional and structural limitations of global and local pandemic response mechanisms such as restricted fiscal discretion, capacity shortages, and difficulties coordinating within multi-layered administrative structures.