Global health is an emerging field that draws from public health and international health. While these fields share similarities like a focus on populations and prevention, global health is distinct in that it addresses health issues that transcend national borders and involve multiple countries and disciplines. The document presents a definition of global health agreed upon by an international panel as "an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide." It emphasizes transnational health problems and solutions, an interdisciplinary approach, and a balance of population-based prevention and individual clinical care.
A lecture on global health delivered during the Think Global Asia-Pacific Workshop on Global Health in Medical Education, December 19, 2011, University of the Philippines Manila
What is Global Health?: Defining Global HealthUWGlobalHealth
As proposed by the Declarations of the Alma Ata and challenged by the Millennium
Development Goals, action by players and stakeholders of diverse specialties and
backgrounds is required to achieve health for all. This assembled expert panel
drawn from different backgrounds will enrich the discussion with their own experiences.
Global health is the health of populations in the global context;
It has been defined as "the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide".Health is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in which disease and infirmity are absent. Global health practices can respond to some of the major health responsibilities such as non-communicable diseases (heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases) or injuries that occur in varying degrees in many countries, no matter how advanced.
The guidelines set out the principles and practices that government can look at when making laws and regulating food programs. Inequality affects the health of the world.
The future of global health is at risk and needs urgent strategies. Also, technology is contributing at a vast pace to overcome the various health challenges all over the world.
For prevention of non-communicable diseases(NCD):
Ban all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.
Restrictions on the availability of retailed alcohol.
Replacement of trans fats with polyunsaturated fats.
Scale-up early detection and coverage starting with very cost-effective, high-impact interventions.
A lecture on global health delivered during the Think Global Asia-Pacific Workshop on Global Health in Medical Education, December 19, 2011, University of the Philippines Manila
What is Global Health?: Defining Global HealthUWGlobalHealth
As proposed by the Declarations of the Alma Ata and challenged by the Millennium
Development Goals, action by players and stakeholders of diverse specialties and
backgrounds is required to achieve health for all. This assembled expert panel
drawn from different backgrounds will enrich the discussion with their own experiences.
Global health is the health of populations in the global context;
It has been defined as "the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide".Health is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in which disease and infirmity are absent. Global health practices can respond to some of the major health responsibilities such as non-communicable diseases (heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases) or injuries that occur in varying degrees in many countries, no matter how advanced.
The guidelines set out the principles and practices that government can look at when making laws and regulating food programs. Inequality affects the health of the world.
The future of global health is at risk and needs urgent strategies. Also, technology is contributing at a vast pace to overcome the various health challenges all over the world.
For prevention of non-communicable diseases(NCD):
Ban all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.
Restrictions on the availability of retailed alcohol.
Replacement of trans fats with polyunsaturated fats.
Scale-up early detection and coverage starting with very cost-effective, high-impact interventions.
Sharing from USAID:
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is pleased to announce the release of its “Annual Progress Report to Congress: Global Health Programs FY 2014.” The report presents a summary of USAID’s key global health accomplishments during the previous fiscal year. From improving children’s nutrition to supporting antiretroviral treatment for millions of individuals, USAID programs had a great impact in 2014.
As the largest investor in global health, USAID is leading efforts to improve and save lives worldwide. In partnership with countries, non-governmental organizations, the faith-based community, and the private sector, the Agency is reaching people with the greatest need in the most remote areas. USAID works to further President Barack Obama’s vision to end extreme poverty through its ongoing contributions to ending preventable child and maternal deaths, creating an AIDS-free generation and protecting communities from infectious diseases.
King Holmes, MD, PhD: Present and Future Challenges in Global Public HealthUWGlobalHealth
King Holmes, MD, PhD: Present and Future Challenges in Global Public Health, Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Sept. 12, 2009.
Global health trends and lessons learned towards better advocacy and develo...Farooq Khan
Written from the perspective of a Canadian Emergency Medicine Resident in July 2013 as a presentation to peers and colleagues for academic purposes only.
Part 1: Advocacy in Emergency Medicine
- Patients, communities and the world at large
Part 2: Global Health trends
- Political, social, economic and environmental determinants
- Emergency Medicine as a global priority
Part 3: Examples of Emergency Medicine development and activism
- Global Emergency Care Collaborative - Uganda
- International Emergency Medicine research at WHO
- Getting involved without leaving the country
Introduction to public health, definition, Preventive medicine vs public health, social medicine, community medicine, role of public health, public health practices, core activities
Global health issues with focus on food safety in Southeast AsiaILRI
Keynote presentation by Fred Unger, Hung Nguyen-Viet, Sinh Dang-Xuan, Phuc Pham Duc and Delia Grace at the International Symposium on Global Physiology, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 22 October 2016.
Global health is an important new term, and an important new concept. The Institute of Medicine refers to global health as "health problems, issues and concerns that transcend national boundaries, may be influenced by circumstances or experiences in other countries, and are best addressed by cooperative actions and solutions."
OBJECTIVES OF GLOBAL HEALTH CARE
Why should medical students learn about global health
CONTINUE…
Public health, medicine, and nursing: parts of the same puzzle
CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL HEALTH CARE
THE KEY CONCEPTS IN RELATION TO GLOBAL HEALTH
. THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
CONTINUE..
CONTINUE..
Continue…
2. The Measurement of Health Status
CONTINUE..
CULTURE AND HEALTH
CONTINUE..
4. The global burden of disease
5. Key Risk Factors for Various Health Conditions
CONTINUE..
Trends in Global Deaths 2002-30
HEALTH PATTERNS IN RESOURCE POOR COUNTRIES
HEALTH PATTERNS IN RESOURCE RICH COUNTRIES
Sharing the information.Network formation
REFERENCES
THANK YOU
Sharing from USAID:
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is pleased to announce the release of its “Annual Progress Report to Congress: Global Health Programs FY 2014.” The report presents a summary of USAID’s key global health accomplishments during the previous fiscal year. From improving children’s nutrition to supporting antiretroviral treatment for millions of individuals, USAID programs had a great impact in 2014.
As the largest investor in global health, USAID is leading efforts to improve and save lives worldwide. In partnership with countries, non-governmental organizations, the faith-based community, and the private sector, the Agency is reaching people with the greatest need in the most remote areas. USAID works to further President Barack Obama’s vision to end extreme poverty through its ongoing contributions to ending preventable child and maternal deaths, creating an AIDS-free generation and protecting communities from infectious diseases.
King Holmes, MD, PhD: Present and Future Challenges in Global Public HealthUWGlobalHealth
King Holmes, MD, PhD: Present and Future Challenges in Global Public Health, Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Sept. 12, 2009.
Global health trends and lessons learned towards better advocacy and develo...Farooq Khan
Written from the perspective of a Canadian Emergency Medicine Resident in July 2013 as a presentation to peers and colleagues for academic purposes only.
Part 1: Advocacy in Emergency Medicine
- Patients, communities and the world at large
Part 2: Global Health trends
- Political, social, economic and environmental determinants
- Emergency Medicine as a global priority
Part 3: Examples of Emergency Medicine development and activism
- Global Emergency Care Collaborative - Uganda
- International Emergency Medicine research at WHO
- Getting involved without leaving the country
Introduction to public health, definition, Preventive medicine vs public health, social medicine, community medicine, role of public health, public health practices, core activities
Global health issues with focus on food safety in Southeast AsiaILRI
Keynote presentation by Fred Unger, Hung Nguyen-Viet, Sinh Dang-Xuan, Phuc Pham Duc and Delia Grace at the International Symposium on Global Physiology, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 22 October 2016.
Global health is an important new term, and an important new concept. The Institute of Medicine refers to global health as "health problems, issues and concerns that transcend national boundaries, may be influenced by circumstances or experiences in other countries, and are best addressed by cooperative actions and solutions."
OBJECTIVES OF GLOBAL HEALTH CARE
Why should medical students learn about global health
CONTINUE…
Public health, medicine, and nursing: parts of the same puzzle
CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL HEALTH CARE
THE KEY CONCEPTS IN RELATION TO GLOBAL HEALTH
. THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
CONTINUE..
CONTINUE..
Continue…
2. The Measurement of Health Status
CONTINUE..
CULTURE AND HEALTH
CONTINUE..
4. The global burden of disease
5. Key Risk Factors for Various Health Conditions
CONTINUE..
Trends in Global Deaths 2002-30
HEALTH PATTERNS IN RESOURCE POOR COUNTRIES
HEALTH PATTERNS IN RESOURCE RICH COUNTRIES
Sharing the information.Network formation
REFERENCES
THANK YOU
are increasing the importance of environmental ethics has started to take pre...KhalidMdBahauddin
are increasing the importance of environmental ethics has started to take precedence making its global issue. as this issue do not respect National boundaries
Navigating the Current Global Health Crises: Challenges and Solutionshemadigital50
In an interconnected world where borders are more porous than ever before, global health crises have become a pressing concern that transcends geographical boundaries. From pandemics like COVID-19 to endemic diseases and emerging threats, the challenges we face in safeguarding public health on a global scale are diverse and complex
Concept of health and disease (concept and definition of health,well being, illness,sickness and disease; philosophy of health; concept and definition of disease; changing concepts of health; dimensions of health; spectrum of health; iceberg phenomenon of disease; responsibility for health: Individual, community, state and international) Concept of causation (germ theory of disease; epidemiological triad; multi-factorial
causation; web of causation; natural history of disease: pre-pathogenesis and pathogenesis phase)Determinants of health
Prevention, its levels in line with phases of disease concurrent to natural history Concept of modes of intervention in different levels of prevention Burden of disease (concept of burden of disease; measurements used in burden of disease: DALY, QALY, YLL, YLD) Indicators of Health (Concept and characteristics of health indicator; Different types of
mortality and morbidity indicators: mortality Indicators-crude death rate; age-specific death rate; infant mortality rate; maternal mortality rate and ratio; Morbidity indicators:
The Neglected Dimension of Global Security: A Framework to Counter Infectious...The Rockefeller Foundation
The Ebola crisis in West Africa was both a tragedy and a wakeup call, revealing dangerous deficiencies across global systems to prevent, prepare, and respond to infectious disease crises. To address these shortcomings and inform a more effective response in the future, the National Academy of Medicine convened the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future (GHRF Commission)—an independent, international group of experts in finance, governance, R&D, health systems, and the social sciences.
The Commission’s report highlights the essential role of pandemic preparedness in national security and economic stability—a critical but often under-examined dimension of the global conversation post-Ebola. Importantly, the report demonstrates that the impact of infectious disease crises goes far beyond human health alone—and that mitigation, likewise, requires the mobilization and long-term commitment of multiple sectors.
Prix Galien International 2024 Forum ProgramLevi Shapiro
June 20, 2024, Prix Galien International and Jerusalem Ethics Forum in ROME. Detailed agenda including panels:
- ADVANCES IN CARDIOLOGY: A NEW PARADIGM IS COMING
- WOMEN’S HEALTH: FERTILITY PRESERVATION
- WHAT’S NEW IN THE TREATMENT OF INFECTIOUS,
ONCOLOGICAL AND INFLAMMATORY SKIN DISEASES?
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ETHICS
- GENE THERAPY
- BEYOND BORDERS: GLOBAL INITIATIVES FOR DEMOCRATIZING LIFE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES AND PROMOTING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
- ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN LIFE SCIENCES
- Prix Galien International Awards Ceremony
Ozempic: Preoperative Management of Patients on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Saeid Safari
Preoperative Management of Patients on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists like Ozempic and Semiglutide
ASA GUIDELINE
NYSORA Guideline
2 Case Reports of Gastric Ultrasound
Couples presenting to the infertility clinic- Do they really have infertility...Sujoy Dasgupta
Dr Sujoy Dasgupta presented the study on "Couples presenting to the infertility clinic- Do they really have infertility? – The unexplored stories of non-consummation" in the 13th Congress of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE 2024) at Manila on 24 May, 2024.
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Title: Sense of Smell
Presenter: Dr. Faiza, Assistant Professor of Physiology
Qualifications:
MBBS (Best Graduate, AIMC Lahore)
FCPS Physiology
ICMT, CHPE, DHPE (STMU)
MPH (GC University, Faisalabad)
MBA (Virtual University of Pakistan)
Learning Objectives:
Describe the primary categories of smells and the concept of odor blindness.
Explain the structure and location of the olfactory membrane and mucosa, including the types and roles of cells involved in olfaction.
Describe the pathway and mechanisms of olfactory signal transmission from the olfactory receptors to the brain.
Illustrate the biochemical cascade triggered by odorant binding to olfactory receptors, including the role of G-proteins and second messengers in generating an action potential.
Identify different types of olfactory disorders such as anosmia, hyposmia, hyperosmia, and dysosmia, including their potential causes.
Key Topics:
Olfactory Genes:
3% of the human genome accounts for olfactory genes.
400 genes for odorant receptors.
Olfactory Membrane:
Located in the superior part of the nasal cavity.
Medially: Folds downward along the superior septum.
Laterally: Folds over the superior turbinate and upper surface of the middle turbinate.
Total surface area: 5-10 square centimeters.
Olfactory Mucosa:
Olfactory Cells: Bipolar nerve cells derived from the CNS (100 million), with 4-25 olfactory cilia per cell.
Sustentacular Cells: Produce mucus and maintain ionic and molecular environment.
Basal Cells: Replace worn-out olfactory cells with an average lifespan of 1-2 months.
Bowman’s Gland: Secretes mucus.
Stimulation of Olfactory Cells:
Odorant dissolves in mucus and attaches to receptors on olfactory cilia.
Involves a cascade effect through G-proteins and second messengers, leading to depolarization and action potential generation in the olfactory nerve.
Quality of a Good Odorant:
Small (3-20 Carbon atoms), volatile, water-soluble, and lipid-soluble.
Facilitated by odorant-binding proteins in mucus.
Membrane Potential and Action Potential:
Resting membrane potential: -55mV.
Action potential frequency in the olfactory nerve increases with odorant strength.
Adaptation Towards the Sense of Smell:
Rapid adaptation within the first second, with further slow adaptation.
Psychological adaptation greater than receptor adaptation, involving feedback inhibition from the central nervous system.
Primary Sensations of Smell:
Camphoraceous, Musky, Floral, Pepperminty, Ethereal, Pungent, Putrid.
Odor Detection Threshold:
Examples: Hydrogen sulfide (0.0005 ppm), Methyl-mercaptan (0.002 ppm).
Some toxic substances are odorless at lethal concentrations.
Characteristics of Smell:
Odor blindness for single substances due to lack of appropriate receptor protein.
Behavioral and emotional influences of smell.
Transmission of Olfactory Signals:
From olfactory cells to glomeruli in the olfactory bulb, involving lateral inhibition.
Primitive, less old, and new olfactory systems with different path
MANAGEMENT OF ATRIOVENTRICULAR CONDUCTION BLOCK.pdfJim Jacob Roy
Cardiac conduction defects can occur due to various causes.
Atrioventricular conduction blocks ( AV blocks ) are classified into 3 types.
This document describes the acute management of AV block.
Explore natural remedies for syphilis treatment in Singapore. Discover alternative therapies, herbal remedies, and lifestyle changes that may complement conventional treatments. Learn about holistic approaches to managing syphilis symptoms and supporting overall health.
TEST BANK for Operations Management, 14th Edition by William J. Stevenson, Ve...kevinkariuki227
TEST BANK for Operations Management, 14th Edition by William J. Stevenson, Verified Chapters 1 - 19, Complete Newest Version.pdf
TEST BANK for Operations Management, 14th Edition by William J. Stevenson, Verified Chapters 1 - 19, Complete Newest Version.pdf
Ethanol (CH3CH2OH), or beverage alcohol, is a two-carbon alcohol
that is rapidly distributed in the body and brain. Ethanol alters many
neurochemical systems and has rewarding and addictive properties. It
is the oldest recreational drug and likely contributes to more morbidity,
mortality, and public health costs than all illicit drugs combined. The
5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-5) integrates alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence into a single
disorder called alcohol use disorder (AUD), with mild, moderate,
and severe subclassifications (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
In the DSM-5, all types of substance abuse and dependence have been
combined into a single substance use disorder (SUD) on a continuum
from mild to severe. A diagnosis of AUD requires that at least two of
the 11 DSM-5 behaviors be present within a 12-month period (mild
AUD: 2–3 criteria; moderate AUD: 4–5 criteria; severe AUD: 6–11 criteria).
The four main behavioral effects of AUD are impaired control over
drinking, negative social consequences, risky use, and altered physiological
effects (tolerance, withdrawal). This chapter presents an overview
of the prevalence and harmful consequences of AUD in the U.S.,
the systemic nature of the disease, neurocircuitry and stages of AUD,
comorbidities, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, genetic risk factors, and
pharmacotherapies for AUD.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTHCARE.pdfAnujkumaranit
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. It encompasses tasks such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding. AI technologies are revolutionizing various fields, from healthcare to finance, by enabling machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence.
Report Back from SGO 2024: What’s the Latest in Cervical Cancer?bkling
Are you curious about what’s new in cervical cancer research or unsure what the findings mean? Join Dr. Emily Ko, a gynecologic oncologist at Penn Medicine, to learn about the latest updates from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2024 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. Dr. Ko will discuss what the research presented at the conference means for you and answer your questions about the new developments.
Report Back from SGO 2024: What’s the Latest in Cervical Cancer?
View point on global health
1. Viewpoint
www.thelancet.com Vol 373 June 6, 2009 1993
Towards a common definition of global health
Jeffrey P Koplan,T Christopher Bond, Michael H Merson, K Srinath Reddy, Mario Henry Rodriguez, Nelson K Sewankambo, Judith NWasserheit,
for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health Executive Board*
Global health is fashionable. It provokes a great deal of
media, student, and faculty interest, has driven the
establishment or restructuring of several academic
programmes, is supported by governments as a crucial
component of foreign policy,1
and has become a major
philanthropic target. Global health is derived from public
health and international health, which, in turn, evolved
from hygiene and tropical medicine. However, although
frequently referenced, global health is rarely defined.
When it is, the definition varies greatly and is often little
more than a rephrasing of a common definition of public
health or a politically correct updating of international
health. Therefore, how should global health be defined?
Global health can be thought of as a notion (the current
state of global health), an objective (a world of healthy
people, a condition of global health), or a mix of
scholarship, research, and practice (with many questions,
issues, skills, and competencies). The need for a
commonly used and accepted definition extends beyond
semantics. Without an established definition, a shorthand
term such as global health might obscure important
differences in philosophy, strategies, and priorities for
action between physicians, researchers, funders, the
media, and the general public. Perhaps most importantly,
if we do not clearly define what we mean by global health,
we cannot possibly reach agreement about what we are
trying to achieve, the approaches we must take, the skills
that are needed, and the ways that we should use
resources. In this Viewpoint, we present the reasoning
behind the definition of global health, as agreed by a
panel of multidisciplinary and international colleagues.
Public health in the modern sense emerged in the mid-
19th century in several countries (England, continental
Europe, and the USA) as part of both social reform
movements and the growth of biological and medical
knowledge (especially causation and management of
infectious disease).2
Farr, Chadwick, Virchow, Koch,
Pasteur, and Shattuck helped to establish the discipline
on the basis of four factors: (1) decision making based on
data and evidence (vital statistics, surveillance and
outbreak investigations, laboratory science); (2) a focus
on populations rather than individuals; (3) a goal of social
justice and equity; and (4) an emphasis on prevention
rather than curative care. All these elements are
embedded in most definitions of public health.
The definition of public health that has perhaps best
stood the test of time is that suggested by Winslow almost
90 years ago:3
“Public health is the science and art of preventing
disease, prolonging life and promoting physical health
and efficacy through organized community efforts for
the sanitation of the environment, the control of
Lancet 2009; 373: 1993–95
Published Online
June 2, 2008
DOI:10.1016/S0140-
6736(09)60332-9
See Editorial page 1919
*Members listed at end of paper
Emory Global Health Institute
(Prof J P Koplan MD), and
Department of Epidemiology,
Rollins School of Public Health
(T C Bond PhD), Emory
University, Atlanta, GA, USA;
Duke Global Health Institute,
Duke University, Durham, NC,
USA (Prof M H Merson MD);
Public Health Foundation of
India, Delhi, India
(Prof K S Reddy MD); Instituto
Nacional de Salud Publica,
Cuernavaca, Mexico
(Prof M H Rodriguez MD);
School of Medicine, Makerere
University College of Health
Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
(Prof N K Sewankambo FRCP);
and Department of Global
Health, University of
Washington, Seattle,WA, USA
(Prof J NWasserheit MD)
Correspondence to:
Prof Jeffrey P Koplan,
RobertWWoodruff Health
Sciences Center, Emory
University, 1440 Clifton Road
Suite 410, Atlanta, GA 30322,
USA
jkoplan@emory.edu
communicable infections, the education of the individual
in personal hygiene, the organization of medical and
nursing services for the early diagnosis and preventive
treatment of disease, and the development of social
machinery which will ensure every individual in the
community a standard of living adequate for the
maintenance of health; so organizing these benefits in
such a fashion as to enable every citizen to realize his
birthright and longevity.”
The US Institute of Medicine (IOM), in its 1988 Future
of public health report,4
described public health in terms
of its mission, substance, and organisational framework,
which, in turn, address prevention, a community
approach, health as a public good, and the contributions
of various partners. The IOM report defined the mission
of public health as “fulfilling society’s interest in assuring
conditions in which people can be healthy”.4
In the
Dictionary of epidemiology (2001), Last5
defined public
health as “one of the efforts to protect, promote and
restore the people’s health. It is the combination of
sciences, skills and beliefs that is directed to the
maintenance and improvement of the health of all the
people through collective or social actions”.
International health has a more straightforward history.
For decades, it was the term used for health work abroad,
with a geographic focus on developing countries and
often with a content of infectious and tropical diseases,
water and sanitation, malnutrition, and maternal and
child health.6
Many academic departments and
organisations still use this term, but include a broader
range of subjects such as chronic diseases, injuries, and
health systems. The Global Health Education Consortium
defines international health as a subspecialty that “relates
more to health practices, policies and systems...and
stresses more the differences between countries than
their commonalities”.7
Other research groups define
international health as limited exclusively to the diseases
of the developing world.8
But many find international
health a perfectly usable term and have adapted it to
coincide with the philosophy and content of today’s
globalised health practice.7,8
International health is
defined by Merson, Black, and Mills9
as “the application
of the principles of public health to problems and
challenges that affect low and middle-income countries
and to the complex array of global and local forces that
influence them”.
Global health has areas of overlap with the more
established disciplines of public health and international
health (table). All three entities share the following
characteristics: priority on a population-based and
preventive focus; concentration on poorer, vulnerable,
and underserved populations; multidisciplinary and
2. Viewpoint
1994 www.thelancet.com Vol 373 June 6, 2009
interdisciplinary approaches; emphasis on health as a
public good and the importance of systems and
structures; and the participation of several stakeholders.
In view of these commonalities, we are left with key
questions that need to be resolved to arrive at a useful
and distinctive definition for global health. We address
some of these questions here.
What is global? Must a health crisis cross national
borders to be deemed a global health issue? We should
not restrict global health to health-related issues that
literally cross international borders. Rather, in this
context, global refers to any health issue that concerns
many countries or is affected by transnational
determinants, such as climate change or urbanisation, or
solutions, such as polio eradication. Epidemic infectious
diseases such as dengue, influenza A (H5N1), and HIV
infection are clearly global. But global health should also
address tobacco control, micronutrient deficiencies,
obesity, injury prevention, migrant-worker health, and
migration of health workers. The global in global health
refers to the scope of problems, not their location.
Thus—like public health but unlike international
health—global health can focus on domestic health
disparities as well as cross-border issues. Global health
also incorporates the training and distribution of the
health-care workforce in a manner that goes beyond the
capacity-building interest of public health.
Is global health mainly directed to infectious disease
and maternal and child health issues or does it also
address issues such as chronic diseases, injuries, mental
health, and the environment? Infectious diseases and
maternal and child health have dominated international
health and continue to receive the most attention and
interest in global health. However, global health has to
embrace the full breadth of important health threats.
This broad set of priorities might mean accepting that,
for many countries, the epidemiological transition is a
continuing process. Simultaneous effort needs to be
expended on undernutrition and overnutrition, HIV/
AIDS and tobacco, malaria and mental health,
tuberculosis and deaths due to motor vehicle accidents.
Infectious agents are communicable and so are parts of
the western lifestyle (ie, dietary changes, lack of physical
activity, reliance on automobile transport, smoking,
stress, urbanisation). Burden of illness should be used as
a criterion for global-health priority setting.
How does global health relate to globalisation? The
spread of health risks and diseases across the world,
often linked with trade or attempted conquest, is not new
to public health or international health. Plague spread
across Europe and Asia in the middle ages; quarantine
was developed in 14th-century Venice; smallpox and
measles were introduced to the New World by European
invaders in the 16th century; the same explorers took
tobacco from the Americas to Europe and beyond, leading
to premature disease and death; and opium was sold to
China in the 18th and 19th centuries as a product of trade
and subjugation by imperial western powers. Never-
theless, the rapid increase in speed of travel and
communication, as well as the economic interdependency
of all nations, has led to a new level and speed of global
interconnectedness or globalisation, which is a force in
shaping the health of populations around the world.
Must global health operate only within a context of a
goal of social/economic equity? The quest for equity is a
fundamental philosophical value for public health. The
promotion of social and economic equity, and reduction
of health disparities has been a key theme in domestic
public health, international health, and global health. Up
to now, most health initiatives in countries without
sufficient resources to deal with their own health
problems have come about through the assistance of
wealthier countries, organisations, and foundations.
Although this assistance is understandable, it does not
help us to distinguish global health as a specialty of study
and practice.
Global health has come to encompass more complex
transactions between societies. Such societies recognise
that the developed world does not have a monopoly on
good ideas and search across cultures for better
approaches to the prevention and treatment of common
diseases, healthy environments, and more efficient food
production and distribution. The preference for use of
the term global health where international health might
previously have been used runs parallel to a shift in
philosophy and attitude that emphasises the mutuality of
Global health International health Public health
Geographical reach Focuses on issues that directly or indirectly affect
health but that can transcend national boundaries
Focuses on health issues of countries other than
one’s own, especially those of low-income and
middle-income
Focuses on issues that affect the health of the population of a
particular community or country
Level of cooperation Development and implementation of solutions often
requires global cooperation
Development and implementation of solutions
usually requires binational cooperation
Development and implementation of solutions does not
usually require global cooperation
Individuals or
populations
Embraces both prevention in populations and clinical
care of individuals
Embraces both prevention in populations and
clinical care of individuals
Mainly focused on prevention programmes for populations
Access to health Health equity among nations and for all people is a
major objective
Seeks to help people of other nations Health equity within a nation or community is a major
objective
Range of disciplines Highly interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary within
and beyond health sciences
Embraces a few disciplines but has not
emphasised multidisciplinarity
Encourages multidisciplinary approaches, particularly within
health sciences and with social sciences
Table: Comparison of global, international, and public health
3. Viewpoint
www.thelancet.com Vol 373 June 6, 2009 1995
real partnership, a pooling of experience and knowledge,
and a two-way flow between developed and developing
countries. Global health thus uses the resources,
knowledge, and experience of diverse societies to address
health challenges throughout the world.
What is the interdisciplinary scope of global health?
Professionals from many diverse disciplines wish to
contribute to improving global health. Although global
health places greater priority on prevention, it also
embraces curative, rehabilitative, and other aspects of
clinical medicine and the study of basic sciences. But
these latter areas are less central to the core elements of
public health than are its population-based and preventive
orientations. Clearly, many disciplines, such as the social
and behavioural sciences, law, economics, history,
engineering, biomedical and environmental sciences, and
public policy can make great contributions to global
health. Thus, global health encompasses prevention,
treatment, and care; it is truly an interdisciplinary sphere.
A steady evolution of philosophy, attitude, and practice
has led to the increased use of the term global health.
Thus, on the basis of this analysis, we offer the following
definition: global health is an area for study, research, and
practice that places a priority on improving health and
achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global
health emphasises transnational health issues, deter-
minants, and solutions; involves many disciplines within
and beyond the health sciences and promotes inter-
disciplinary collaboration; and is a synthesis of population-
based prevention with individual-level clinical care.
We call for the adoption of a common definition of
global health. We will all be best served (and best serve
the health of others around the world) if we share a
common definition of the specialty in which we work
and to which we encourage others to lend their efforts.
Contributors
All authors contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript. The
Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Executive Board
developed the definition and reviewed and edited the manuscript.
CUGH Executive Board
Haile Debas (University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA);
King Holmes (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA);
Gerald Keusch (Boston University, Boston, MA, USA); Jeffrey Koplan
(Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA); Michael Merson (Duke
University, Durham, NC, USA); Thomas Quinn (Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD, USA); Judith N Wasserheit (University of
Washington, Seattle, WA, USA).
Conflicts of interest
We declare that we have no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgments
We thank George Alleyne, Lincoln Chen, William Foege, Andy Haines,
Mohammed Hassar, Venkat Narayan, Sharifa Saif Al-Jabri,
Barry Schoub, and Olive Shisana for their comments and suggestions.
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