Surveillance networks and spaces of governance: technological openness and international cooperation during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic

The ongoing 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic has highlighted the importance of global health surveillance. It has, in the words of WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, offered the opportunity to ‘watch a pandemic unfold […] in real time’. Moreover, it has allowed the international community to more fully prepare for major infectious disease outbreaks. Whilst there is an expanding literature on biosecurity and preparedness, we argue that little consideration has been given to the impact of increased reliance on event-based surveillance on global public health governance. Using Margaret Chan’s 2007 call for a ‘new’ international health diplomacy, we assess the importance of global surveillance networks (such as the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN) and HealthMap) in informing national and transnational practices in relation to the risks posed by emerging infectious diseases. Our analysis is supported by empirical data supplied by GPHIN and by reference to national pandemic influenza preparedness plans. In conclusion, we argue that, by increasing availability of local reporting of disease outbreaks, these networks act as a powerful prompt in initiating global pandemic preparedness and, by extension, international cooperation. Yet, the ongoing H1N1 pandemic demonstrates their fragility as practices of preparedness vary between states across the global north and south