Global health security is a term used to encompass the range of issues that could threaten the health of people around the world. These issues can include pandemics, outbreaks of infectious disease, chemical and radiation accidents, and bioterrorism.
Since the late 1990s, there has been a growing recognition of the need for global health security. In 2003, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution calling for all countries to develop national plans for global health security.
In recent years, there have been a number of high-profile global health security incidents. In 2014, an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa killed more than 11,000 people. That same year, an outbreak of MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) in South Korea killed 38 people.
In 2017, an outbreak of Nipah virus in India killed 17 people. And in 2018, an outbreak of African swine fever in China has killed more than 1,000 people.
The threat of global health security is a real and growing one. The best way to protect ourselves from these threats is to work together to improve global health security. This includes improving surveillance and detection capabilities, strengthening our response capabilities, and building international partnerships.
Some important things about Global health security.
What is global health security?
Global health security is the prevention and response to public health threats that have the potential to cross borders and affect large numbers of people.
What are some common threats?
Some common threats include pandemics (such as the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak), outbreaks of illness caused by deliberate use of a biological agent (such as the 2001 anthrax attacks in the United States), and large-scale disasters (such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake) that can overwhelm local health systems.
What are some of the benefits of global health security?
When global health security is in place, countries can work together to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. This helps save lives and protect economies.
How is global health security funded?
Most global health security activities are funded through national governments. The United States has been a leader in funding global health security, committing more than $6.9 billion to date.
Why is global health security important?
In the 21st century, global health threats have the potential to affect large numbers of people and can cross borders rapidly. For example, the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak affected more than 28,000 people in West Africa and caused more than 11,000 deaths.
Global health security is important because it helps prevent and respond to these threats. When global health security is in place, countries can work together to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. This helps save lives and protect economies.
Conclusion
There is an urgent need for improved global health security, as the world faces increasingly complex and frequent public health threats. While great strides have been made in recent years, many gaps still remain in our ability to prevent and respond to such threats. Increased investment in health security infrastructure and cooperation between countries is essential to mitigating the risks posed by global health threats.
Allison Cheng is a Michigan-based health enthusiast with extensive experience in lifestyle and fitness coaching. She has a special expertise in nutrition and mental health coaching. She is passionate about helping people become their best selves through health and wellness, and loves to share her knowledge and experiences through her blog and health coaching practice.
