Global health has become increasingly important, as already the term implies, due to globalization.

Globalization enables people, as well as services and connections, to reach distant areas of the world

rather freely in the today’s world. Even though globalization has its many benefits, through better

cooperation and liaison between countries and multinational organizations, the downsides are the risks

on health impacts. Infectious diseases are being spread and cause a threat on people’s health.

 

The environment has a close linkage to the global health as well. Environmental degradation has both

local and global impacts on health. Water pollution, waste problems and climate change are just a few,

but crucial, phenomena that pose a threat to global health. As the average temperature rises, the diversity

of the cultivated plants diminishes and e.g. the insect-borne diseases are more easily spread. A vicious

circle is created as e.g. floods in Pakistan causes losses in rice crops and therefore affects not only the

producer’s economy, but also the global price and affordability to people in other countries[1].

 

As said, global health is also a matter of politics and economy. 90 % of the world’s health care resources

are spent on diseases that affect 10 % of the world’s population. HIV/AIDS has been one of the many

epidemic diseases that have had catastrophic impacts on nation’s economy.[2] As the international

cooperation has been emphasized, it is a matter of western world’s stature which is at stake when it comes

to global health problems, prevention of diseases and education on health hazards. Basic health care system

and a decent standard of living pose an ethical and humanitarian incentive for the international community as well.