Why study Global Health

Is it imperative to know what happens to the health of other people especially of other people in another country? Why is it important to know the health status of those who live in Australia, Germany, the United States or any other developed country for that accord? However if you look at it from a broader perspective it matters a lot and a growing concern for many of us. Foremost of all, diseases have no boundaries. 1 For example if someone has tuberculosis he/she can spread it to many during his/her lifetime, wherever he/she resides or travel to. In other words the health of each of us directly and indirectly affects others as well. It would be erroneous to say that in a way health is not related to the economic and social development of a country and it is indeed closely related in many ways, in this increasingly growing independent world. There are many children and adolescents who do not complete their basic education due to their disease condition or due to malnutrition, which prevents them to their full mental potential which otherwise would have been possible. They would be less likely to be as productive when adults as other children form developed countries, and will be able to contribute less to their families, community and country. It is also evident that an ethical dimension exists on the health and well being of other people. There are millions of elderly people who spend their lives in very poor conditions because of the lack of care by the state and strong policies to govern such issues and children still suffer and die of vaccine preventable diseases and malnutrition which can be both prevented and cured. Is this fair and justified? Are we prepared to accept suffering and deaths without taking steps to prevent them? Eventually if we look at health in a broader dimension, health and well being of people everywhere adds on to the freedom in the world. Outbreaks of disease like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and cholera, threaten us to work to the fullest and be involved in gainful quests.