Global Public Health: A Review and Discussion of the Concepts, Principles and Roles of Global Public Health in Today's Society
| Author | Heather Yeatman,Chris Jenkins,Marta Lomazzi,Bettina Borisch |
| Date | 01 September 2016 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12302 |
| Published date | 01 September 2016 |
Global Public Health: A Review and
Discussion of the Concepts, Principles and
Roles of Global Public Health in Today’s
Society
Chris Jenkins*
World Federation of Public Health Associations, University of Geneva
Marta Lomazzi*
World Federation of Public Health Associations and Institute of Global Health,
University of Geneva
Heather Yeatman
School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong
Bettina Borisch
World Federation of Public Health Associations and Institute of Global Health,
University of Geneva
Abstract
Global public health as a concept needs examination. Given that the use of the term has become so common, across such
broad topics, it is worthwhile to take stock, review and evaluate how it is being used. In an ever-changing and increasingly
globalised context, how should global public health be understood and how should it adapt?
We conducted a literature review of articles between 1990 and 2014 that included the phrase ‘global public health’in the title
and/or abstract. Using these articles and some specifically selected influential articles from outside the search parameters we
found that the articles rarely engage with political factors impacting on health, instead focusing on disease-specific challenges
or technical issues.
This article seeks to contribute to a wider study and discussion on the role of global public health in today’s global setting,
conducted by the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) in collaboration with the World Health Organization
(WHO) headquarters in Geneva.
Policy Implications
•There needs to be a debate within the global public health community to create a vision and understanding of the term
‘global public health’, one that is not merely responsive, nor a euphemism for ‘health challenges’. A more explicit concep-
tualization will help shape the agenda for the field and will engage with the political landscape in which global public
health is situated.
•The ‘political landscape’needs to be understood by the global public health community in a broad sense, recognizing the
proliferation of actors working within the field.
•The global public health workforce needs to recognize the importance of political and commercial determinants of health
and strive to collaborate with, and where appropriate challenge, political and commercial actors to improve health out-
comes.
•Global public health professionals as well as other actors in global public health should be trained in how to understand
the political context, and how to work effectively within it. Professionals need to see the importance of connecting differ-
ent fields that impact upon population health.
©2016 University of Durham and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Global Policy (2016) 7:3 doi: 10.1111/1758-5899.12302
Global Policy Volume 7 . Issue 3 . September 2016
332
Research Article
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