Governing Global Public Goods: An Applied Research on Collaborative Malaria Prevention and Control in the Mekong Countries

In recent years, the world has been facing global issues such as the spread of pandemic and global warming. Countermeasures for these problems have been discussed using the concept of global public goods (GPGs). This article explores the necessity of establishing complex arrangements and governance structures for addressing global public goods, with an emphasis on the public health context, and combating infectious disease threats in particular. The article conceptualises malaria prevention and control as a global public good and suggests that its governance is likely to be more effective and sustainable if based on three multi-level settings: international rule-forming institutions; regionally embedded knowledge networks; and national cross-border infrastructures. Using the Mekong Countries as an empirical case, it evaluates the actor–recipient dynamics leveraging public health goods, and highlights the importance of adaptive, governance-rooted strategies for addressing epidemiological challenges. The article further argues that international norms must be activated and operationalised through both regional plurilateral and national bilateral pathways to build collaborative mechanisms and implement pragmatic health policies, thereby achieving effectiveness and sustainability. These findings contribute to cumulative theoretical insights into the transforming landscape of global health governance.