Global Health Challenges

This report marks the first of what is expected to be a series of assessments of various global health problems, and this first effort begins with the conceptualization of health as a global issue. It explores the relationship between health and economic growth, trade, innovation, global security and global governance. It focuses in particular on infectious diseases as a significant global health challenge, and looks to the origin, causes, and effectiveness of various interventions employed for different epidemics. In evaluating the global response to pandemics, it looks at each in terms of the viability and effectiveness of regional and cross-border collaboration to deploy health care systems, surveillance, lab testing, communication, and human resources and equipment.

About the Authors

Julio Frenk is a Mexican physician and former Secretary of Health of Mexico. Dr. Frenk is currently the President of the University of Miami. Dr. Frenk served as Dean of the Faculty and T & G Angelopoulos Professor of Public Health and International Development at the Harvard School of Public Health from 2009–15, where he was the School's and the University's first Hispanic and native Spanish-speaking Dean.

Louise O. Fresco is President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University & Research Centre. She was University Professor at the UvA (University of Amsterdam) in the field of the foundations of sustainable development in international perspective from June 2006 until July 2014. Professor Fresco is a member of the board of non-executive directors of Unilever in London and was a member of the board of non-executive directors of Rabobank in Utrecht. Professor Fresco was Assistant Director-General in the Agriculture Department of FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization, of the United Nations in Rome, since 2000.

Phua Kai Hong is a tenured professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, where he lectures in global health and social policy. Dr. Phua was the co-lead author and corresponding author of the overview article in the Lancet series on Health in Southeast Asia (2011) and has produced numerous publications and research papers in global health policy and related areas, including population ageing, public-private partnerships, comparative health economics, and financing in Asia.

Pablo Kuri-Morales earned his medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He holds a Master’s Degree in Science and specialized in Public Health certified by the Specialty Council (Consejo de Especialidad). He also received a diploma in international public health from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, collectively with the CDC; and completed the Special Program for Senior Executives at the PADE Business School. He served as Director General of the National Center for Epidemiological Surveillance and Disease Control (CENAVECE), as well as the Epidemiology Department at the Federal Health Ministry. Since 1986 has been teaching at UNAM’s Medical School, supervising academic research on diverse topics, and educating outstanding health specialists including epidemiologists. He was President of the Public Health Mexican Society and is a member of the Mexican Surgery Academy and the National Academy of Medicine where he served as Deputy Secretary. Dr. Kuri has published more than 125 articles related to epidemiology, addiction prevention, and public health policies. Since December, 2011, he has been acting as Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health for the Federal Government of Mexico.