Leadership Lessons from a Global Health Crisis: From the Pandemic to the Climate Emergency

This book explores the lack of global leadership in the face of modern international health crises, COVID-19 and climate change among others, and highlights the need for fundamental reform to management paradigms.

Dr. Jo Nurse is a strategic advisor to the InterAction Council, a group of 40 former international leaders and Heads of Government currently chaired by HE Bertie Ahern and HE President Obasanjo, advancing collaborative initiatives to enhance governance for global security for people and the planet. Prior to this, Jo was Head of Health and Education for the Commonwealth, providing leadership to ministers across 53 countries, and strengthening systems and capacity for the education and health sectors to enable sustainable development. Earlier in her career, Jo was the UK government’s national lead for Public Mental Health and Wellbeing developing multi-sector policies to promote wider well-being including the prevention of violence. From 2010, Jo worked for the World Health Organization, developing capacity for climate change assessments and strategies, led the implementation of the WHO European Action Plan for Public Health, and applied this experience as a key architect of the World Federation of Public Health Associations ’Global Charter for the Public’s Health’. Jo is currently advancing these initiatives as Director for the Platform for Planet, Place and People, a hub of the Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health. Having held a number of honorary professorships, Jo was recently made a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science and chairs a group on Existential Threats to Humanity.