Management of the COVID-19 Health Crisis in the World; An Evaluation on Centralization and Decentralization Practices

Abstract

It has been reported that the tensions, incoordination and incompatibility between the central and local government, and the disconnection in the institutional capacity in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, adversely affected the epidemic management. This study was carried out to evaluate the centralization and decentralization practices in the management of the COVID-19 health crisis in the world within the scope of the literature. With the spread of COVID-19 around the world in 2020, most governments have had to take drastic central measures to reduce the spread of the virus. It was emphasized that the measures taken in most countries in the early stages of the epidemic were not taken in coordination with the local units, causing incompatibilities with the local. As of 2021, due to the different experiences of the local effects of the epidemic during the pandemic process, it has been observed that the measures applied in the countries against the epidemic differ according to the local and regions. Ensuring that coordination and harmony between central government and local government/units are important that is explained by the fact that the local effects of the epidemic are different (infection rate, population density, effectiveness of the measures taken, etc.). During the COVID-19 process, it has been observed that countries have different centralization and decentralization practices suitable for their own conditions. It is reported that the simultaneous and complementary coordination of centralization and decentralization in governance in COVID-19 and similar crises will prevent complexity at management levels and positively affect the effective management of the crisis.