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Rethinking the 'global' in global health: a dialectic approach
1Department for International Health Sciences; Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics; Charité - University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany. kayvan.bozorgmehr@googlemail.com.
Globalization and Health
|October 30, 2010
Summary
This study redefines "global health" by introducing a "supraterritorial" concept, emphasizing interconnected social determinants of health worldwide. This approach avoids redundancy and offers a clearer framework for global health research and practice.
Area of Science:
- Global Health Studies
- Public Health Policy
- Health Social Sciences
Background:
- Existing definitions of global health lack specificity, particularly regarding the term 'global'.
- Current definitions often lead to redundancy when compared with public and international health.
- This ambiguity complicates the understanding and application of global health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically analyze existing definitions of 'global health' and identify inherent problems.
- To propose a new conceptualization of 'global' in global health to enhance clarity and avoid redundancy.
- To explore the implications of different 'global' concepts on key health issues like malnutrition and infectious diseases.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the term 'global' in the context of health.
- Examination of different denotations of 'global' (worldwide, transcending national boundaries, holistic, supraterritorial).
- Application of these concepts to case studies including malnutrition, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and maternal mortality.
Main Results:
- Identified 'global' denotations as 'worldwide,' 'transcending national boundaries,' and 'holistic,' each with limitations.
- Proposed a novel concept of 'global' as 'supraterritorial,' defined as links between social determinants of health anywhere.
- Demonstrated that the supraterritorial concept overcomes contradictions and avoids redundancy with existing health fields.
Conclusions:
- The supraterritorial concept of 'global' offers a more precise and less redundant framework for global health.
- Detaching normative objectives from definitions is recommended to avoid 'entanglement-problems' and politicization.
- This redefined 'global health' concept supports innovative research, education, and practice, aligning with health as a human right.
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