Expanding Global Health Engagement through Multilateral Security Organizations.

Area of Science:

• Global Health Security
• International Relations
• Defense Policy

Background:

• Many nations utilize defense capabilities for Global Health Engagement (GHE) via international bodies.
• A strategic framework for U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) GHE through multilateral organizations is currently lacking.
• This research aims to identify and analyze multilateral security organizations involved in GHE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify multilateral security organizations engaged in Global Health Engagement (GHE).
• To understand the mechanisms and rationale behind their GHE involvement.
• To inform the development of an interoperable U.S. approach to GHE through multilateral partners.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review was performed to identify relevant multilateral security organizations and agreements.
• Inclusion criteria focused on organizations engaged in or potentially capable of GHE.

Main Results:

• Fifteen multilateral organizations met the inclusion criteria, primarily regional (87%) and established post-1948.
• While 20% explicitly mention health objectives, 80% engage in at least two GHE domains, with humanitarian assistance/disaster response being universal.
• Most organizations align with European defense priorities, potentially overlooking emerging threats in other regions like the Indo-Pacific.

Conclusions:

• Despite high demand, GHE implementation is under-resourced, focusing on funded activities like disaster response over capacity building.
• A strategic forum for GHE policymakers and practitioners is needed to guide priorities and best practices.
• Developing a U.S. multilateral GHE strategy, with Congressional support, is timely to leverage global health interest and strengthen international cooperation.