ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews pandemic planning and governance issues in the context of regional and local difference in order to determine how robust and appropriate the model may be in light of wider considerations. It explains some of the planning choices which arise at the domestic level, including the audience, style of expression, likely power and relationship to other normative forces such as law, and public understanding of its goal and purpose. The International Health Regulations (IHR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) prescriptions for preparation of national plans for the management of pandemic infections stem from a common source or assumption: a conclusion that the international governance architecture for managing health emergencies is inadequate in a globalized world of travel and trade. The pandemic management plans drawn up to date by various governments are notable for variability, but variability from a common WHO template rather than notable for experimentation with other models of governance.
