The future of (post)-pandemic health security – a global perspective

The coronavirus pandemic has seemingly once again entered a new phase, as a large number of governments around the world are eagerly reducing restrictions, virtually declaring the pandemic to be over and done with – but the impact and knock-on effects of the Coronavirus are far from behind us. Instead, the current phase of the pandemic remains marked by stark contrasts and a range of new challenges. While some governments speak of the virus as becoming ‘endemic’, its effects mitigated by high rates of vaccinations, others struggle for equitable access to vaccination doses, or continue to pursue a policy of drastic containment. As national approaches to health security diverge, we think that it is time to take stock and reflect on the current state of global health security. A few years into the pandemic, how have national responses changed, and what are the new principles and current challenges with regards to managing future risk? Are we indeed seeing the emergence of a new (post)pandemic future, or are we rather witnessing a fragmentation of policies, as pandemic response increasingly comes into contact with a wide variety of other factors? This roundtable brings together different perspectives on these (and other) questions, reflecting on current research and expertise in the field of Global Health Security broadly understood.

Speakers

• Anne Roemer-Mahler (University of Sussex)
• Adam Kamradt-Scott (European University Institute)
• Nick Thomas (City University of Hong Kong)