ABSTRACT
The world must contend with the forces of globalization and how it is shaping realities, including the epidemiology of health risks, risk factors, politics and policies of healthcare. This chapter examines the political health issues involved in the control of diseases or how to ensure functional health for all. There is intense “politicking” in healthcare because of profound interests in the face of limited resources and the need for priority-setting. Global health is, therefore, a domain of power relations: Power is distributed among and exercised by global health actors, but is also embedded within global health structures. The global health networks and actors (including national and global bodies) are usually identified with specific interests irrespective of the ultimate goal of achieving universal healthcare. This chapter examines the context of global health politics, including differential concern and priorities, differential capacity and resources, trickle-down science, and weak health governance and political will. Lastly, this chapter examines the fundamental frames, including global health security, global health rights and ethics, among others, that shape global health politics and policies.
