The small world of global health

This article is based on the Solomon Berson lecture, delivered by Dr. Koplan in January 2000. In his remarks, Dr. Koplan discussed the current status of global health and projected trends in three categories: communicable diseases, risk factors for disease, and selected diseases and health conditions. Reflecting on differences in health issues in the 30 years since he left Mount Sinai, Dr. Koplan pointed out that the health problems of developed and developing nations are strikingly similar now which also means they are amenable to similar interventions.