Global Health Security

Global (public) health security is defined by the World Health Organization as the activities required, both proactive and reactive, to minimize the danger and impact of acute public health events that endanger people’s health across geographical regions and international boundaries. This definition is normative in that it tells us how global health security ought to be done. It does not explain how “activities” should be enacted, or what should be done to “minimize” the danger and impact of public health events across geographical regions and international boundaries. The literature below is a sample of the rich research that has tried to grapple with the how and what questions of global health security. This entry includes research from a range of disciplines, including public health, political science, law, economics, sociology, anthropology, and philosophy. It is just a small sample but there are thematic continuities across the literature that led to the selection of the sections identified below. A large part of the literature providing General Overviews, in the 1990s and 2000s, examined the evolution of the definition of “global health security” as an extension of, or distinct from, national health security. The marriage of global health and security became the subject of much debate. In particular, what events constitute Securitization, which is the second theme of literature examined below? The evolution of Biosecurity literature emerged at the same time. Securitization literature is quite different from biosecurity literature in that biosecurity literature does not engage, for the most part, with discussions about the protection of peoples (as defined under global health security). This literature has been concerned primarily with the protection of states. The consequence of two health security literatures running at different tracks of inquiry is different approaches, interests, and prioritization of global health security. This has led to the proliferation of Multidisciplinary usage of the term “global health security” from a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives. However, gaps remain practice and research. A consistently neglected area of global health security is Inequalities. Who are the “peoples” in global health security practice and research? Finally, this entry examines the events where global health security is (or is not) “applied” to health threats, which is examined in the Outbreaks section.