This lecture first
inquires why governments should care about serious health threats
outside their borders, and explores the alternative rationales.
Second, I examine the compelling issue of global health equity, and
ask whether it is fair that people in poor countries and regions
suffer such a disproportionate burden of disease, disability, and
premature death. Third, I describe how the international community
focuses on a few high profile, heart-rending, issues while largely
ignoring deeper, systemic problems in global health. By focusing on
basic survival needs, the international community could dramatically
improve prospects for the world’s population. Finally, I explore the
value of international law itself, and propose an innovative
mechanism for global health reform—a Framework Convention on Global
Health.
