Abstract:

Epidemic outbreaks, from a comprehensive and inter-connected perspective, are simultaneously local and global events. Reviewing the outbreak of the plague in Surat, India in 1994, we can understand the interaction of the governments of each country, the Indian government and the local state governments in India in terms of public health and political authority, as well as their specific political concerns, social anxieties and priorities. During the epidemic, there were overlapping multi-layer narratives at the global and local levels, indicating that there are multiple concentric circles in public health and its politics. To meet and solve the complex challenges related to epidemic naming, public health and political impact, we must analyze the intersection between them and clarify different concepts and reactions. The Surat epidemic provides an important opportunity for WHO to adopt a more interventionist strategy, and provides an important reference point for establishing a global disease monitoring network and strengthening cooperation among countries in public health governance. The continuous tense regional situation and concerns of different countries affect the political game on epidemic cognition. The plague in Surat and the disputes surrounding it show that it is necessary to list global health as a priority that is both comprehensive and professional. It needs to be grasped as a whole, rather than simply understood as a game of interests among different levels such as international, national and local. This research will help us understand and construct public health issues under today’s changing global political ecology.

Key words: plague in Surat, World Health Organization （WHO）, public health, priorities, international politics