Global Public Health: Its Threat and Solution

According to the World Health Report 2007, one of the side effects of globalization is increasing risk of disease outbreaks, epidemics, natural disasters, industrial accidents, and other health emergencies. At least 39 new pathogens have been identified since 1967: HIV, Ebola haemorrhagic fever, Marburg fever and SARS. Other diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and pandemic influenza continue to pose a threat to public health through “a combination of mutation, rising resistance to antimicrobial medicines and weak health systems.”

Although the world is flat, disease outbreaks are multi-dimensional. Without a collective effort of all countries to share resources, global health will face unprecedented threats to its security. Health communities need to focus on building international cooperation and encouraging all countries to implement the revised International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) in order to deliver immediate rescue to disease outbreaks. Modern medical science plays an important role in improving public health system, but its approach in treating diseases has been vulnerable to fighting against newly developed pathogens. Its inability to offer effective solutions to outbreaks urges health professionals to re-evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of its current philosophy. Instead of investing in developing treatments and drugs on existing diseases, all countries should advocate proper lifestyles and regular health maintenance programs to prevent early onset of disease development. Healthy lifestyles and preventive medicine are the cost-efficient and life-enhancing solutions to people. The evolution of infectious disease outbreaks makes it difficult for human to predict when and where the next one will be, but preventive medicine can keep us away from chronic diseases, and better prepare us to resist new pathogens.

If you would like to read The World Health Report 2007 - A safer future: global public health security in the 21st century, visit http://www.who.int/whr/2007/en/index.html