COVID-19 Pandemic Management from a Sustainability Viewpoint: An Analysis for Austria, the European Union, and the WHO

The most recent COVID-19 pandemic challenged the world in many respects. Having started as a global health crisis, the pandemic soon threatened the economy and societies, leading to many unpleasant side effects and even affecting democracies and human rights standards. Against this backdrop, global governance by the WHO will be examined, as well as leadership at European and national levels. The Austrian case is analyzed in more detail, also in relation to Switzerland and the Nordic countries. Critical studies from OECD and others reveal huge shortcomings at WHO level with respect to strategic pandemic prevention and preparedness. The European Union falls short of seizing the opportunity to show leadership in global health guidance with a focus on effective prevention strategies and the protection of democracy and human rights. In Austria, the most recent report of the Court of Auditors detected major failures in the government’s strategic prevention and crisis management. Public health standards are investigated as well as consequences of pandemic management on human rights, respect for democracy and debate, freedom of citizens, and inclusiveness in decision-making processes. It seems as if the pandemic has relegated us backward toward growth of disparities and loss of democratic governance. More and more studies question the worldwide vaccination exercise to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming that mass vaccination especially with mRNA vaccines could even impair human immune systems and thus the survival of the human race. In this respect, recommendations suggest an enhanced WHO global health governance system with a stronger focus on prevention, more cautious future policy decisions applying the precautionary principle, increased focus on the proportionality of measures, upgrading public health and nutrition standards, amongst others with alkaline or organic nutrition and healthier lifestyles, as well as exploring less controversial or harmful medical alternatives such as ozone therapy.