21st Century Global Health Diplomacy

Book excerpt: 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.