Hi. My name is Flemming Konradsen. I am a professor of international environmental health here at the University of Copenhagen. Even as a student I was interested in global issues and have been fortunate to study and work on different continents. Since I graduated with a degree in environmental health biology I have worked for non-governmental organizations, universities, disease control programs and international research organizations. Most of my work experience is in South Asia, East Africa and Scandinavia. From very early on I was really interested in understanding how our management of natural resources and environmental changes, at both community-level and at a greater scale, impact the quality of life and population health. I also find it interesting to research the dynamics of specific diseases and how they are influenced by the environment and also how entire ecosystems influence health of populations. It is fascinating and honestly sometimes scary to see how agricultural policies or urban planning can have significant positive or negative effects on peoples' lives and how policies drafted in one country can impact on peoples' lives in other countries. As you may already know global health spans many sectors and draws on methods, insights, traditions and data from a large number of academic disciplines. Because of this, I will not be teaching this course alone, in fact, I will only play the main role in a small section, namely, when we cover my own topic: environmental health. Instead, the course will present to you a large number of researchers from different departments here at the University of Copenhagen. We have also included interviews with researchers and experts from other institutions around the world as well as guest appearances by non-researchers; for instance experts from some of the major international stakeholders in global health. Most global health issues hold the interest of many stakeholders, including UN agencies, governments, civil society, lobbyists, multinational businesses and many more, and it is my hope that this course will familiarize you with some of the most important players as well as give you an understanding of the many different interests and opinions that shape the field. Global health is seen by many as an expansion or evolution from tropical medicine, international health and international public health. Different organizations and scholars define "global health" in different ways. In this course we are inspired by two different interpretations. One that defines global health as: "an area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving health equity for all people worldwide". Another defines global health as: "those health issues that transcend national boundaries and governments and call for actions on the global forces that determine the health of people". Global health may well include a comparison of health status and programs across countries but is not limited to low or high income countries or particular geographical regions of the world. During this course we will highlight important landmarks in the evolution of global health governance including for example the establishment of the World Health Organization, the Declaration of Alma-Ata on Primary Health Care, the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994, the health targets under the Millennium Development Goals and of course the significance of the Sustainable Development Goals for global health. Global health goes beyond medicine and health sciences and includes a great diversity of disciplines, such as political science, engineering, cultural studies, agriculture and many more. Global health is truly a transdisciplinary area of work. As the process of globalization continues, so must the way we address health issues. Pandemics, climate change, and the protection of refugees are all examples of issues that can only be addressed by combining local, national and international action and governance. A global health perspective is also needed when addressing the opportunities and dilemmas linked with the globalization of the health profession, the expanding health insurance and hospital businesses and increasing health care seeking across borders, sometimes referred to as "medical tourism". Likewise, the increasing international travel will require improved surveillance and collaboration among national authorities to respond to the potential spread of infectious diseases. Also, the choices made by you as a consumer in one country may well influence the occupational health of workers on a different continent. Take as an example your own fridge. What you find here may well represent a growing trade in agricultural products, creating employment to millions and servicing billions of consumers. It is also a good example of how pricing, standards and competition may influence the health and opportunities for local farmers in other countries where the products are produced. Equally, the growing trade in agricultural products calls for international standards to protect the consumers against, for example, pesticide residues or the spread of drug resistant strains of bacteria. Denmark, as other countries around the world, is influenced by international conventions that will impact on population health both here and at the international level. For example, international trade agreements influence price and availability of products in the local supermarket and the ratification of conventions may facilitate the passing of laws to control harmful substances such as tobacco. Just as we see the global development function as a potential catalyst for all sorts of health challenges we also see new opportunities arise. One of them is new technologies. Not only in better forms of treatment and new vaccines and medications but also in information technology, which gives powerful tools for health promotion, awareness raising, and not least educating the health professionals of the future. Across the world you will find many different answers to the question "what is the greatest global health challenge?". This may depend upon who you ask, how the problem is assessed and clearly will reflect the huge global inequality in health and access to health care. An inequality that is not only reflected across countries but clearly also among groups living within the same country. In the past decades the world has seen significant progress in human health, especially in relation to control of infectious disease. Life expectancy has increased; fertility rates have dropped and the quality of life improved for millions. Similarly, increased school enrolment has provided an important basis for health promotion and influenced one of the most important social determinants of health. However, in spite of the progress made, the world still hosts millions of people living in extreme poverty, lacking even the most basic amenities such as water and sanitation. Poverty, malnutrition, infectious diseases and reproductive health are still fundamentals of an unfinished global agenda. Some people are faced with war and conflict, directly as refugees, or indirectly as hosting communities. Others live in areas without a functioning health system, and have no access to affordable treatment. At the same time, the aging population, urbanization and changing diets are among the drivers of an epidemic of non-communicable diseases, such as cancer and diabetes felt by rich and poor. An epidemic rise in non-communicable diseases that requires lifelong chronic treatment and fundamental changes to the way we think of prevention and health care. Add to this an increasing burden from mental health issues and it is clear that all sectors of society need to address the potential down side of global mega trends. This course will enable you to take part in the global discussion, and link everyday headlines of epidemics, trade agreements, conflicts or economic issues, to the essential questions of life and death, health and disease of millions. We really look forward to your opinions and your perspective on these issues. We also aim to point towards key resources for future references and study. We will discuss global health governance and identify the role of the key actors and we aim to provide you with an overview of the most important global health problems that transcends the perspectives of individual countries. Welcome to the course. I'm looking forward to seeing you online. Thank you very much.
