CIAO DATE: 02/2013
September 2012
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Our understanding of global health and its relationship to national security, the safety of our citizens, and the well-being of the wider global community has grown and evolved over time. It is now widely accepted that nations with healthy populations are more likely to be productive, prosperous, and peaceful. This matters to the United States because peaceful nations generally make good neighbors. Conversely, poor health indicators are usually a sign that something is not right in a society. Nations with high numbers of unhealthy citizens are more likely to be poor, badly governed, weak, and prone to instability or even conflict. One need only take a sample of countries that fall into this category—Somalia, Afghanistan, North Korea—to understand the potential threat they pose to the United States. For these reasons, health and security are no longer separate domains for policymakers. They interact with each other. Military leaders who once viewed the world through a narrow security lens have become accustomed to building health plans and programs into their decisionmaking. Health professionals appreciate that their engagement can help enhance the security as well as the well-being of the communities with whom they interact.
Resource link: Global Health as a Bridge to Security [PDF] - 7.2M