Human security: expanding the scope of public health

Human security is an evolving principle for organizing humanitarian endeavours in the tradition of public health. It places the welfare of people at the core of programmes and policies and is community oriented and preventive. It recognizes the mutual vulnerability of all people and the growing global interdependence that marks the current era. Health is a crucial domain of human security, providing a context within which to build partnerships across disciplines, sectors and agencies. These principles have been demonstrated in field programmes in which healthcare delivery featuring multi-sectoral co-operation across conflict lines has been used to enhance human security. Such programmes can be a model for collaborative action and can create the sustainable community infrastructure that is essential for human security.