Global health issues know no political or geographic boundaries. Due to rapid commerce and travel, infectious diseases can spread globally in a few days. Due to climate change and pollution, the health of populations is affected everywhere, especially in poor and vulnerable communities. Global health issues are complex and must be addressed from a multidisciplinary lens: clinical, economic, technological, political, environmental, infrastructural, social, and cultural. By cultivating partnerships between countries, universities, stakeholders, and the people most affected, we are more likely to discover practical and long-term solutions to be successful.
According to Healthy People 2030 improving global health can improve health in the United States and support national and global security interests by fostering political stability, diplomacy, and economic growth worldwide. U.S. investments in improving health in developing countries provide significant public health benefits within the United States. Many global health issues can directly or indirectly impact the health of the United States. Outbreaks of infectious diseases, foodborne illnesses, or contaminated pharmaceuticals and other products, cannot only spread from country to country but also impact trade and travel. The United States can also learn from the experiences of other countries.
A variety of global health topics exist:
- Immunization and Infectious Diseases
- Emergency/Pandemic Preparedness
- Biosafety
- Biosecurity
- Food Insecurity
- Food Safety
- Pharmaceutical Safety
- Environmental Health
- Climate Change
- OneHealth
- Maternal and Child Health
- Gender-Based Violence
- Non-Communicable Diseases
- Cancer Epidemiology
- Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
- Mental Health
- Injury Prevention
- Transportation Safety
- HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB, Neglected Tropical Diseases, etc.