ABSTRACT
Almost two-thirds of the population die of infectious diseases in developing countries, while these diseases kill only 1 percent of the people living in developed countries (Zacher and Keefe 2011). Such disparity does not suggest that infectious diseases affect only a limited part of the world. The recent global spread of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and influenza A (H1N1) are dramatic reminders that “microbes ignore borders.” Such events put the global nature of health in the spotlight and serve as a reminder that, more generally, “health issues ignore borders.” In a globalized world, global health is not confined to communicable diseases and health-related challenges increasingly transcend national boundaries. Chronic diseases and health issues linked to individual behavior have also become global. Diet, tobacco, and alcohol, for example, are strongly influenced by marketing strategies of multinational food companies (see Chapter 11 by Kurzer).
