International Health Relations with Respect to the Corona Pandemic

The field of international health relations includes a set of international rules and regulations, governmental and non-governmental actors, international institutions, and the relationships among them that work within global health. The international health system has undergone many changes in recent years, the main focus of which is the World Health Organization, which since its establishment has taken effective measures to develop and promote global health in coordination with governments. But despite changes in international health regulations and the development of international institutions, cooperation between international actors, especially governments, is challenging in some circumstances. The corona pandemic, as a major source of concern, is now exposing the international community’s fragility. Governments have shown reluctance to make decisive decisions about this crisis. This reluctance stems, on the one hand, that scientific evidence on the nature and extent of issues related to the disease remains ambiguous and controversial, and on the other hand, possible conflicts of interest have complicated the possibility of a global consensus. The question is: what has been the performance of the international health system, especially as regards international health regulations, the World Health Organization and governments, and is it worthwhile for them to deal with the Corona pandemic? The results of the present study show that despite the development of the global health system in recent years and its relative success in the face of international crises, there is a need for institutional development and strengthening of health diplomacy.