Health and foreign policy: an American view

Health and humanitarian complications of conflicts and disasters are, increasingly, the bases for international intervention. Concerns about widespread starvation, the spread of epidemic diseases, and a whole range of human-rights violations are now central factors in foreign affairs. Emphasising health issues can offer an innovative approach to the resolution of apparently intractable problems. Identifying the common concerns, of even the most bitter enemies, can provide an initial basis for dialogue and lead to diplomatic initiatives. Further, the methodology of public health and the metaphors of medicine provide a needed structure for a new era in post-Cold-War international relations; this would include an emphasis on preventive diplomacy that, the author argues, is as essential for the United States as it is for the United Nations.