Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar 14;91(1):15.
doi: 10.5334/aogh.4625. eCollection 2025.

The Global Health Security Index and Its Role in Shaping National COVID‑19 Response Capacities: A Scoping Review

Danik Iga Prasiska  1 , Kennedy Mensah Osei  1 , Durga Datta Chapagain  1 , Vasuki Rajaguru  2 , Tae Hyun Kim  2 , Sun Joo Kang  3 , Sang Gyu Lee  4 , Suk-Yong Jang  2 , Whiejong Han  3
Affiliations

The Global Health Security Index and Its Role in Shaping National COVID‑19 Response Capacities: A Scoping Review

Danik Iga Prasiska et al. Ann Glob Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Following the introduction of the Global Health Security Index (GHSI), the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic emerged as an unprecedented global health crisis, underscoring the need for robust health security frameworks and preparedness measures. This study conducts a scoping review to analyze the existing literature on the GHSI and assess national COVID‑19 responses across different countries. Method: A comprehensive search of electronic databases (EBSCO, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) was conducted for articles published from 2020 to 2024. Search terms included "Global Health Security Index" and terms related to COVID‑19. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‑analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‑ScR) guidelines. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), adjusted for cross‑sectional studies, was used for quality assessment. Results: A total of 3,243 studies were identified, of which 20 were finalized for data synthesis. Specific COVID‑19 parameters were analyzed to provide a comprehensive overview of each country's pandemic response capacity. Among the selected studies, 17 (85%) had a low risk of bias, while 3 (15%) had a medium risk. Countries' response capacities were categorized into five key parameters: detection, mortality, transmission, fatality, and recovery. Findings revealed significant discrepancies between GHSI scores and actual national responses, with some high‑scoring countries struggling to control the pandemic. This raises concerns about the GHSI's predictive reliability. Conclusion: The study highlights that the GHSI does not fully capture a country's capacity to respond effectively to COVID‑19. However, it remains a valuable tool for identifying gaps in pandemic preparedness. To enhance its relevance, the index should integrate a wider range of factors, including political leadership, governance, public health infrastructure, and socio‑cultural elements, which are crucial in managing public health emergencies.

Keywords: COVID‑19; Global Health; Index; Response; Security.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no relevant financial or non‑financial interest to disclose.

Figures

PRISMA flow diagram of GHSI study selection process
Figure 1
PRISMA flowchart of the study selection process.
COVID‑19 parameter categorization for pandemic response analysis
Figure 2
Categorization of COVID‑19 parameters used to analyze countries’ pandemic response capacities.
3D stacked bar chart on GHSI impact and COVID‑19
Figure 3
Summary of studies on the impact of GHSI scores based on COVID‑19 parameters.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. GHS. What is the GHS Index? 2021. [cited July 10, 2024]. Available from: https://ghsindex.org/about/#What-is-the-GHS-Index.
    1. WHO. Listings of WHO’s response to COVID‑19. 2020. [cited July 10, 2024]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/29-06-2020-covidtimeline.
    1. Mourmouris P, Tzelves L, Roidi C, Fotsali A. COVID‑19 transmission: A rapid systematic review of current knowledge. Osong Public Health Res Perspect. 2021;12(2):54–63. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Del Rio C, Collins LF, Malani P. Long‑term health consequences of COVID‑19. JAMA. 2020;324(17):1723–1724. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Afrashtehfar KI, Jurado CA, Al‑Sammarraie A, Saeed MH. Consequences of COVID‑19 and its variants: Understanding the physical, oral, and psychological impact. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(4):3099. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources