GLOBAL HEALTH DIPLOMACY: THE NEW RECOGNATION OF HEALTH IN FOREIGN
POLICY 2
Part I: Summary of the article
The article Global Health Diplomacy: The New Recognition of Health in Foreign Policy
looks at health in various perspectives. Initially, health is depicted as an important factor for
individuals and the society at large. Therefore, in the instance where health is adequately
protected with a continuous improvement there would be achievement of national goal. Ilona
Kickbusch and Christian Erk hold the view that securing health is not easy and go beyond factors
of health. For example, health is affected by varying factors both at individual and population
level. The authors argue that a number of policies in lives and workplace tend to impact health
both positively and negatively. As a result, there is a health consequence for the population and
its individuals.
Importantly, the article mentions that even from the definition of health by World Health
Organization (WHO) health is affected by physical, social and mental factors. However, the
authors continue to aver that health dimension extends to other factors that include the workplace
condition, education, sanitation, healthcare services, housing, rate of employment, and
communities. Therefore, it can be argued that health is a broad issue because of the number of
factors that directly or indirectly affect the status of health. In following this line of argument, the
author asserts that health determinate is impacted best by actions and policies that fall outside the
health dimension such as environmental policies, transportation, and economic policies. Thus,
depending on action of the mentioned policies, health is influenced positively or negatively.
The author of the article mentions that health in any society is a critical factor.
Individually, health determines whether most goals of a nation become realizable. For instance,
