Global health policy challenges
The process of globalisation has far-reaching implications for public health. For instance, it enables the spread of diseases and other health threats across national borders. Their spread is amplified by increases in travel and trade. This example shows that health challenges cannot be overcome by one country or sector alone, but only through cooperation.
Preventable deaths from infectious diseases and, increasingly also chronic non-communicable diseases hamper economic growth and development opportunities and compromise the social and political stability of entire regions. They are a major cause of lost development opportunities.
However, globalisation not only confronts public health with challenges, it also offers a wealth of new opportunities and promising approaches to resolving these challenges. Increased mobility and novel communication processes have made access to medication, technologies, knowledge and research considerably easier. Stronger international networking has helped secure health topics a permanent place on the international agenda.