The emergence of COVID-19 in 2019 is regarded as the deepest global crisis of the 21st century. Given the high level of global interdependence and interconnectedness, outbreaks of infectious diseases in one part of the world are only but hours from becoming a threat elsewhere, as seen from SARS and COVID-19 pandemics. In dealing with pandemics, universal cooperation is required. Global health governance, therefore, refers to health problems that go beyond national boundaries and are best addressed through cooperative actions. Logically, it is in the interest of all states to cooperate and deal with a common threat. However, this has not been the case in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The global health structure of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a proliferation of non-state actors through public-private partnerships established to facilitate cooperation and ease the distribution of global public health goods. However, despite the proliferation of actors, the early phases of the pandemic saw states operating in a largely state-centric pattern ultimately negatively affecting the overall governance of the pandemic. This thesis found that the governance of smallpox played a key role in the successful eradication of the virus and conducts a comparative analysis on the governance of smallpox and COVID-19. It analysis the political, economic, technological, international level, and state-level factors that influenced the cooperation of states and the governance strategies implemented in dealing with both pandemics. The research, therefore, finds that for the governance of COVID-19 to be just as successful as that of smallpox, there needs to be a move from ''protection'' to ''empowerment’. This would help facilitate universal cooperation and reduce the tendency for developed countries to act unilaterally. The proliferation of actors in the global health system should not bring about the ousting of the WHO from its role of guiding and coordinating global health issues. COVID-19 has emphasized the role of states in making international cooperation impactful; therefore, the IHR and policy advice of key global health security agencies should be given more attention. Finally, in the area of vaccine production efficacy and good science should be put above speed.
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