Alexandra L. Phelan

Alexandra Phelan is a global health lawyer, examining legal and policy issues relating to emerging infectious disease outbreaks, governance, and international law. Her work examines how laws governing global health, human rights, and the environment intersect to respond to contemporary infectious disease governance challenges. Phelan is a General Sir John Monash scholar, associate fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society, and was recognized in 2019 in the AFR's Top 100 Women of Influence.

A mother and her child wear a mask to prevent contacting a new coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea, January 26, 2020. The photo shows the two face to face with each other, but their faces are covered almost completely below their eyes by the dust masks. REUTERS/Yonhap
Governance

Why Global Governance of Disease Matters for the Emergence of a Novel Coronavirus

by Rebecca Katz, Alexandra L. Phelan

As WHO manages outbreak, how can we strengthen global governance tools and ensure existing systems fit an evolving world