Module One: Determinants Of Health

     

What is International Health?

Phuket, Indonesia, December 26, 2004. 400,000 died.

The majority of the Earth's citizens continue to struggle with the most basic of health needs. Meanwhile, the more economically developed nations of our planet focus on pursuing advancements in medicine, such as minimally invasive surgery and cloning applications. Recent disasters, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2005 Pakistani earthquake, have helped to draw justifiable attention to the health needs of developing nations.

International health is the field devoted to the study and improvement of health in developing nations. It is a field that relies upon numerous disciplines, including public health, sociology, medicine, and political science, for its effectiveness. International health is in every sense a worldwide subject, for while it focuses on the needs of peoples who are the most disadvantaged, the interconnected nature of our world stands as a reminder that no one lives in isolation. Virtually everyone has a stake in world health, for what is good or bad for the health of even the humblest people ultimately influences everyone.

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