The State and Global Health

Schrecker, T

doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190456818.013.18

The State and Global Health

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Ted Schrecker

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Abstract

Although global health researchers and practitioners routinely interact with stateagencies, the research literature contains little theorizing or critical reflection on the roleof the state. This chapter addresses this neglect on two dimensions: states’ policies withintheir borders and states’ involvement with global health politics and other areas ofinternational interaction that influence health. Examples are drawn from both rich andpoor countries. The chapter concludes by examining three lines of argument related tothe declining relevance of the nation-state, organized around pressures for economicpolicy convergence; the proliferation of non-state actors in global health, and theemergence of a nascent transnational state. While each has merit, each likewise risksoverstating the case for a ‘post-Westphalian’ global order.