Health and Security
6.11.2016
Health and Security concerns are usually handled on a global level and can be referred to as Global Health security. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define Global Health Security as the broad range of policies, activities and programs that provide protection from infectious disease threats that may result from the emergence and spread of new unfamiliar microbes, globalization of travel and trade, increase in drug resistance and potential release of harmful microbes from laboratories, either deliberately or in-deliberately. Global health security measures are kept in place to prevent epidemics, outbreaks and bioterrorism. Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or distribution of biologically dangerous agents especially for warfare. These agents may include bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and could exist in naturally occurring or modified forms.
Besides Bioterrorism, the present day’s exceedingly mobile, mutually dependent and well connected world avails numerous opportunities for the fast spread of infectious diseases. These infectious diseases spread much more in this 21st century compared to other times in history. To buttress the intensity of human movement, approximately 2.1 billion airline passengers traveled in 2006. Consequently, an outbreak or epidemic in any one part of the world is only a flight away from another geographic location. Moreover, infectious diseases are not just spreading faster, they are also emerging more quickly than in previous years.
The economic benefits of global health security abound. For one, when countries are protected from disease threats, the environments become safer and the quality of life is improved. Moreover, countries that place priority on global health security are healthier, more stable and prosperous. Pandemic disease threats and unpreparedness can have devastating impact on public health and global economy. For instance, SARS outbreak cost about $30 billion in only 4 months due to the unpreparedness for such an emergency. Therefore, Global health security translates to emergency preparedness, improved quality of life, health safety and more stable economies.