Global health diplomacy begins with a recognition that the most effective international health interventions are carried out with sensitivity to historical, political, social, economic, and cultural differences. It focuses on the interplay of globalization, economic interdependence, social justice, and the enlightened self-interests of nations. Global health diplomacy can help sustain peace and economic stability in a globalized world, but the skills necessary for this endeavour are not taught in standard health sciences curricula or in Foreign Service academies. However, they bear directly on the success of international health cooperation, be it from the global north to the global south or south-to-south cooperation. Global health diplomacy can be a critical pathway to assure good global governance and improved international relations among the great powers and between these powers and the developing world. It can be a mechanism to avert conflict and to augment health, peace, solidarity, economic progress, and multinational cooperation.
Sample Chapter(s)
Foreword: Twenty-First Century Health Diplomacy (56 KB)
Chapter 1: 21st Century Health Diplomacy: A New Relationship Between Foreign Policy and Health (372 KB)
Contents:
- 21st Century Health Diplomacy: A New Relationship Between Foreign Policy and Health (Ilona Kickbusch)
- A History of International Health Encounters: Diplomacy in Transition (Vincanne Adams)
- Governance and Actors in Global Health Diplomacy (Wolfgang Hein)
- Instruments of Health Diplomacy (Ebony Bertorelli, Steven A Solomon and Nick Drager)
- Global Health in International Politics (Harley Feldbaum)
- Health is an Integral Part of Foreign Policy (Santiago Alcázar and Paulo Buss)
- Global Health and Security (Kristofer Bergh and Bates Gill)
- Military Health Diplomacy (Eugene V Bonventre and Lt Col Valérie Denux)
- Health Diplomacy in Humanitarian Action (Valerie Percival)
- Key Factors in Negotiations for Health (Kelley Lee)
- Global Health Begins at Home: Policy Coherence (Gaudenz Silberschmidt and Thomas Zeltner)
- The Way Forward in Global Health Diplomacy: Definitions, Research, and Training (Thomas E Novotny and Sebastian Kevany)
Readership: Graduate students in global health masters and PhD programs. Students doing short courses in health diplomacy.
“Health diplomacy is a complicated, multi-disciplinary challenge that needs both intellectual, and more importantly, practical attention from our best diplomats and public health professionals. Professors Novotny and Kickbusch have assembled such a group for this comprehensive review of all the components of this emerging field. 21st Century Health Diplomacy
can serve as a valuable reference manual for students, researchers, and diplomats from across foreign policy, security, public health, history and political science disciplines.”
RADM Kenneth Bernard, MD, DTMH
Assistant Surgeon General (Ret.)
Former Special Assistant to the President for Health and Security
“21st Century Global Health Diplomacy
is a must read for those interested in how things now work in the complex architectures of public health, security, and foreign policy. Globalization has presented both challenges and opportunities in public health, and by better understanding the history, politics, governance issues, and trends regarding these challenges, we can embrace more effectively the opportunities now available in health diplomacy. Professors Novotny, Kickbusch, and colleagues have provided a remarkable set of readings that will be of great value to today's public health students, foreign policy scholars, and practicing health diplomats.”
Professor David L Heymann, CBE
Head and Senior Fellow, Centre on Global Health Security, Chatham House, and
Professor, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
“‘Health diplomacy’ remains an awkward theme, lacking global consensus in both definition and implementation. All global health practitioners and observers are struggling with the political and economic sides of the diplomacy equation, while political leaders remain flummoxed regarding ‘health’ and governments' obligations to the well-being of their own citizenries, much less humanity, planet-wide. Novotny and Kickbusch's compendium of essays helps a great deal. The book reveals the facets of debate, and evolving thinking. I very much doubt we will reach any consensus on the boundaries and implementation of ‘global health diplomacy’ during my lifetime, but this book will help sort out many of the issues, and guide the debate.”
Laurie Garrett
Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations, and
author of I HEARD THE SIRENS SCREAM: How Americans Responded to the 9/11 and Anthrax Attacks