Many countries, especially poor ones, presently rely on the WHO for medical help and
supplies. However, there is no doubt that in the run-up to this COVID-19 pandemic, the
WHO failed to save lives in many ways. The WHO failed in this unprecedented time of the
COVID pandemic because it is not formed and developed to be independent. Instead,
it’s mostly influenced by the nations that sponsor it and select its leadership. Even though
the pandemic was unusual, WHO researchers could have greatly focused on modern
technology and research rather than any influence from their sponsor countries or
leaderships. If so, more lives could have saved.

In July 2017, China advanced aggressively to elect the current leadership of the WHO.
Leading the WHO in the right way is really important because we require well-functioning
global health institutions for the betterment of public health. The WHO could have performed
its job properly, warning us in time so that efficient strategies could be deployed across the
planet to save more lives.

Undoubtedly, the WHO has been under powered to perform its responsibilities expected from
it, and the framework for cooperation is not too strong to make sure the effective engagement
of countries with the global health system in a transparent, accountable, disciplined, and
timely manner. During this pandemic, we all have observed huge failures in governance and
leadership that have permitted the pandemic to damage lives and livelihoods. Many nations
have opposed the pandemic and unable to devise a comprehensive set of interventions that
are recommended by modern researches. And WHO has realized it impossible to make
governments and leaders comply with the best practices and strategies, even though IHR
(International Health Regulations) exist.

There is no doubt that the WHO has limited capacity to hold governments accountable, and
governments are not willing to hold themselves accountable. This pandemic has manifested
how critical good governance, law, leadership, and politics are to global public health.

In short, there is a need for a Global Accountability Index for the world as one where
standards should set to evaluate and monitor the accountability of leaders that how are they
leading nations in terms of getting people out of poverty, educating their people, keeping
environments safe, fighting against diseases, and promoting good health, in order to assess
the impact of resources spent against the progress they made on the accountability index
factors above mentioned.