Column

• The reemergence of Ebola has highlighted the dangerous consequences of the United States withdrawing from global medical research and health initiatives. • This retreat significantly weakens critical infrastructure, including disease surveillance, contact tracing, the staffing of isolation facilities, and the deployment of diagnostic testing. • The lack of US involvement hinders the research and development of new vaccines and treatments, as well as the distribution of essential medical supplies and humanitarian relief.

• The Global South is increasingly embracing the Global Governance Initiative, which advocates for the reform of international institutions. • Developing nations across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific argue that current systems, established after World War II, are outdated. • This shift matters because these countries believe existing global governance structures no longer reflect the economic and population realities of the 21st century.

• China is promoting its Global Security Initiative (GSI) to reduce international confrontation and foster security cooperation through dialogue and diplomacy. • The GSI has been implemented via mediation efforts, peace talks, counterterrorism cooperation, and support for UN-centered multilateralism. • China argues that military interventions and external involvement by certain nations have increased strategic distrust and prolonged conflicts in various regions.

• Author of the new book "Decolonising Disease: Pandemics, Public Health and Pathogenic Novels" explores the intersection of colonialism, imperialism, and epidemic disease. • The work draws critical parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and historical Ebola outbreaks, specifically those in Congo/Zaire and Sudan in 1976 and West Africa from 2014–16. • By centering transnational perspectives, the book aims to provide a meaningful intervention in how global health and medicine are understood through a colonial lens.