Biopolitical Surveillance and Public Health in International Politics

Using historical and contemporary case studies, Youde traces the shifting balance between surveillance and global public good provision and suggests that a human rights-based strategy offers a stable compromise.

The international community has an interest in providing the global public good of infectious disease control. This requires surveillance, but efforts to implement surveillance programs have provoked resistance, particularly when outsiders and international organizations are involved. Are they collecting information to help or to discipline states? Biopolitical Surveillance and Public Health in International Politics examines the role of biopolitical surveillance in international politics. How can the international community balance the need to engage in surveillance for disease control while simultaneously allaying fears about the purpose of such programs? Using historical and contemporary case studies, Youde traces the shifting balance between surveillance and global public good provision and suggests that a human rights-based strategy offers a stable compromise.