Global health

What Exactly Is Global Health?

Global health is the study, research, and practice that prioritizes improving health and achieving equity for all people worldwide. It’s like a giant puzzle where every piece represents a different aspect of health—medicine, public health, epidemiology, demography, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, cultural studies, and law.

Global Health vs. International Health

While global health looks at the big picture, international health focuses more on developing nations and foreign aid efforts. It’s like comparing a broad landscape to a detailed map—both are essential but serve different purposes in understanding the world of health.

The Role of Key Agencies

Agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and WFP play pivotal roles. They address global health through declarations like the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to improve lives across the globe.

A Brief History of Global Health

Global health as a discipline is acknowledged to be of imperial origin, with efforts towards decolonization recognized. Important milestones include the formation of the UN and WHO in 1945, the publication of the Model List of Essential Medicines, and the Alma Ata declaration on primary health care in 1978.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Beyond

In 2000, member nations declared eight MDGs to be achieved by 2015. Progress has been uneven, with some goals not fully realized, including maternal, newborn, and child health, and reproductive health. Building on the MDGs, a new Sustainable Development Agenda with 17 SDGs was established for 2016-2030. The first goal aims to end poverty.

Initiatives and Milestones

In the 2000s, initiatives like GAVI and the Global Fund began, focusing on health outcomes rather than just spending money. A book titled ‘To Save Humanity’ was published in 2015 with essays from global figures on pressing health issues such as vaccinations, antimicrobial resistance, and climate change.

Measures of Global Health

Global health measures disease prevalence, life expectancy, and employs various perspectives to understand the determinants of health in international contexts. Key measures include:

• Disability-adjusted life year (DALY): Combines illness, disability, and mortality.
• Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs): Calculate the value of expected survival with quality of life.
• Mortality rate: Measures how many people die from a specific disease or condition.

Health Topics and Challenges

Infectious diseases like respiratory tract infections, diarrheal illnesses, and HIV/AIDS are major global health challenges. Diarrheal illnesses are a significant cause of child mortality, while HIV has highlighted the need for common solutions.

HIV/AIDS: A Global Crisis

Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 70 million people have been infected with the HIV virus and about 35 million people have died of HIV. Globally, 36.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2017.

Malaria: A Mosquito-Borne Disease

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by parasites in the genus Plasmodium. Each year, there are approximately 500 million cases worldwide, most commonly among children and pregnant women in developing countries.

Global Health Security and Pandemics

Pandemics have an impact on global health, and international collaboration is needed to prevent and prepare for them. The US government’s new $5 billion budget on vaccines aims to prevent variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Global Health in Numbers

In 2016, over 60% of deaths were due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), up from about 38% in 1990. More than one billion people treated for neglected tropical diseases in 2015. The Global Burden of Disease Study concluded that neglected tropical diseases contributed to approximately 26.06 million disability-adjusted life years in 2010.

Violence Against Women

The World Health Assembly signed a resolution urging member states to integrate strategies for ear and hearing care within their primary health care systems. A World Report on Hearing was published to provide guidance for Member States to integrate ear and hearing care into their national health plans.

Global Surgery: An Urgent Need

Halfdan T. Mahler, the 3rd Director-General of the WHO, first brought attention to disparities in surgery and surgical care when he stated that up to 30% of the total global burden of disease could be attributable to surgical conditions.

The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery

The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery published a landmark report titled ‘Global Surgery 2030: evidence and solutions for achieving health, welfare, and economic development.’ It described the large burden of surgical diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Collaborations and Research

The Global Health Research Group on Children’s Non-Communicable Diseases Collaborative has performed multiple studies resulting in publications in high-impact journals. The NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery, with seven surgical research Hubs, prioritized surgical topics for research.

Global Factors Impacting Health

Climate change and antimicrobial resistance are major global health threats. Climate change undermines every dimension of global health by increasing the risk of air pollution-related conditions. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant issue, with 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019.

Global Health Governance

The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) is a multilateral, multi-sector effort that includes 60 participating countries and numerous private and public international organizations focused on building up worldwide health security capabilities. Action Packages are a commitment by member countries to work collaboratively towards development and implementation of International Health Regulations (IHR).

Conclusion

Global health is not just about treating diseases; it’s about creating a world where everyone has access to the care they need, regardless of their location or circumstances. By working together, we can make significant strides in improving global health and ensuring that no one is left behind.