Building Back Better after COVID-19: a systematic scoping review of wicked problems affecting developed countries and implications for global governance

The COVID-19 pandemic is a textbook example of a wicked problem, one which is complex, open-ended, unpredictable, or intractable and seems resistant to any solution. This presents a window of opportunity to explore other wicked problems and their implications after the pandemic. A systematic scoping review was conducted to investigate the COVID-19 aftermath and identify public health topics which may be of great significance in the years to come. Through the adoption of three megadrivers as fundamental drivers of change (globalisation, demographic change, and digitalisation), it narratively explored how different wicked problems - and the driving mechanisms which sustain them - persist. It further explored the implications of these public health topics on global (health) governance. While the wicked problems mapped in this article show a large variance in where their apparent roots lie, they share one factor in common: health. These wicked problems must be first and foremost addressed if we as a globalised world are to successfully and sustainably build back better from COVID-19. Summary BoxO_ST_ABSWhat is already known?C_ST_ABS- COVID-19 is a textbook example of a wicked problem; a problem that is complex, open-ended, unpredictable, or intractable and seems resistant to any solution; - Digitalisation, globalisation, and demographic change are seen as the three megadrivers of change and are theorised to create and sustain modern wicked problems; - The megadrivers respectively have complex relationships with health; this includes both positive and negative associations. What are the new findings?- A series of wicked problems exist in multiple domains of society that continue to obstruct the progress of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; - These wicked problems each have roots in the three megadrivers: digitalisation, globalisation, and demographic change; - There exists a complex interrelation between the megadrivers, wicked problems, and health. What do the new findings imply?- It currently remains unclear to what extent wicked problems and megadrivers respectively affect health outcomes; therefore, further research is indicated; - A once in a generation opportunity has presented itself to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic by addressing the existing wicked problems; therefore, governance mechanisms should follow and adapt accordingly; - Wicked problems have bidirectional implications for modern policy; this has created an environment for wicked problems to manifest and sustain themselves, which in turn produce further policies that sustain wicked problems.