Understanding the Anemic Global Response to COVID-19

Area of Science:

• International Relations
• Global Health Security
• Political Science

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to the international system.
• Major powers, specifically the United States and China, have engaged in mutual blame regarding the virus's origins.
• The World Health Organization's (WHO) efforts to coordinate a global response have been hindered.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain the limited international cooperation and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To analyze the puzzling lack of a robust global response, contrasting it with past successes like smallpox eradication and Ebola containment.
• To investigate the factors contributing to an anemic global response to a major health crisis.

Main Methods:

• Drawing from structural international relations theory.
• Analyzing the dynamics between major powers (US and China) and international organizations (WHO).
• Examining the inherent weaknesses of international organizations and opposition from major powers.

Main Results:

• Structural international relations theory provides a partial explanation for the limited global cooperation.
• International organizations are identified as inherently weak and facing opposition from major powers.
• The international system presents conflicting incentives for states: cooperation on common threats versus self-preservation.

Conclusions:

• Structural theory alone cannot fully explain the dominance of self-interested motives over cooperation.
• The attributes of individual states and their leaders are crucial factors influencing global responses.
• Further research is needed to explore non-structural elements driving international cooperation or lack thereof in global health crises.