Pandemics, science and policy : H1N1 and the World Health Organization

Pandemics, Science and Policy analyses the World Health Organisation's (WHO) management of the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic. Abeysinghe illustrates the ways in which the WHO's account was vulnerable to contestation, and ultimately how uncertain risks can affect policy and action on the global level. "Pandemics, Science and Policy examines the case study of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) representation and management of the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic. It analyses key criticisms made about the WHO's actions through an examination of the social context in which pandemic management decisions were made, and ultimately illustrations the various ways in which the WHO's account was vulnerable to contestation. Abeysinghe provides a persuasive account of the interplay between uncertain science and the creation of global policy. The book demonstrates that the fragility of the WHO's account and decisions largely lay in both the (lack of) scientific evidence the WHO received, and its use and representation of this evidence. Importantly, it shows how uncertain risks can affect policy and action on the global level"--Provided by publisher Front Matter....Pages i-v Introduction....Pages 1-5 Narrating the Nature of H1N1....Pages 6-30 Risk and Scientific Uncertainty....Pages 31-63 Categorizing H1N1 — The Pandemic Alert Phases....Pages 64-101 Vaccines, Institutions and Pandemic Management....Pages 102-132 Contestation and the Council of Europe....Pages 133-171 Globalization and Global Public Health....Pages 172-203 Conclusions....Pages 204-209 Back Matter....Pages 210-243 "Cover"--"Half-Title" -- "Title " -- "Copyright" -- "Contents" -- "1 Introduction" -- "2 Narrating the Nature of H1N1" -- "3 Risk and Scientific Uncertainty" -- "4 Categorizing H1N1 â#x80;#x93; The Pandemic Alert Phases" -- "5 Vaccines, Institutions and Pandemic Management" -- "6 Contestation and the Council of Europe" -- "7 Globalization and Global Public Health" -- "8 Conclusions" -- "Appendices" -- "Notes" -- "Bibliography."