Global Health EuropeTrade policies are plans and actions that affect the international commercial exchange of goods or services and, in particular, the regulation of exchanges and multilateral agreements governing the application of tariffs or non-tariff barriers to trade. These policies have a profound impact on health. Trade can affect health in various ways. The impact may be […]
There are many crucial links between health and agricultural policies. Policies that support agriculture may also interfere with market prices and, therefore, influence European consumer decisions; for example, agricultural subsidies may lower the price of tobacco, sugar, fats or alcohol and, thereby, impact on non-communicable diseases. Policies regarding agricultural practices can also have a profound […]
A humanitarian crisis is a large-scale crisis of human welfare. It can be naturally occurring, such as in the case of an earthquake or tsunami, or it can be man-made, for example, by war. Every humanitarian crisis poses a threat to health, but the severity depends on the nature of the event and the vulnerability […]
To respond to the pressing need for environmental protection within its borders, the EU will also need to go beyond data collection and analysis and ensure that its commitment to examine the health impact of all economic and social policies is applied in practice. Given the differences in exposure and resulting inequalities in the burden […]
There is now widespread agreement that global warming is occurring and that it is likely to destabilize climatic conditions around the world. Changes in climate will, in turn, result in changes in the environmental determinants of health as well as in the frequency of extreme environmental conditions such as heat waves, floods and droughts. A […]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank’s sister organization, provides oversight of the world’s economic and financial systems, acts as the lender of last resort for economies facing severe balance of payment difficulties, and provides technical standards and advice. In the 1990s, the IMF was criticized for its dogmatic adherence to the ‘Washington Consensus’, […]
When it was established, in 1944 the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which would come to be known as the World Bank, had no competence in health. In its early years, the bank focused solely on assisting countries to develop and reconstruct through policies to enable economic growth. It was in the 1960s, when […]
Health is no longer seen solely as a product of development, but is now also understood to be one of the keys to economic growth. Good health can be a major source of economic and social development. The rapid transition out of poverty of Pacific rim countries was aided by an increase in life expectancy […]
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) was established in 1995 following a resolution by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is the successor of the Global Programme on AIDS of the World Health Organization, and is a new kind of entity in the UN System, uniting ten UN organizations and also […]
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1946. Its core objective is to improve the health of the world’s children. It has an extensive global health presence and strong partnerships with governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the national and community level. After WHO, UNICEF plays the most […]