Abstract :
[en] The COVID-19 crisis was not merely a large-scale infectious disease event; it was a syndemic phenomenon that exposed the interdependence of biological vulnerability, chronic disease, social inequality, institutional capacity, and political decision-making. This article examines the COVID-19 syndemic through the lens of health policy and global health governance, with particular attention to the role of the World Health Organization (WHO). It argues that pandemic preparedness cannot be reduced to emergency response, technological innovation, or hospital-centred capacity. Rather, resilient health systems require strengthened primary health care, transparent international cooperation, coherent governance, sustained investment in medico-sanitary capacities, and meaningful participation by communities and stakeholders. The analysis highlights the structural limits of WHO action, while also emphasizing its normative, coordinating, and supportive functions. Finally, the article calls for a more holistic, equitable, and accountable model of health governance capable of addressing complexity, uncertainty, and the long-term determinants of health.
