Safeguarding good health is not simply the province of individual countries. A globalised, interdependent world, characterised by the increasing movement of individuals and populations – and where disease recognises no borders – means that health has become a global issue.Our responsibility is to harness the opportunities of globalisation to improve the health of people across the world, and in particular people in the UK. A healthy population is fundamental to prosperity, security and stability – a cornerstone of economic growth and social development. In contrast, poor health does more than damage the economic and political viability of any one country – it is a threat to the economic and political interests of all countries. Improving global health is vital if we are to achieve the Government’s domestic and international objectives. The health targets of the MDGs are among those least likely to be met and this demands a coherent strategy and decisive action.
Global health is determined by factors which themselves often show scant respect for national boundaries – such as international trade, climate change, pollution, confl ict, environmental degradation and poverty. The UK Government cannot achieve the ambition set out in this strategy alone. Because so many sectors affect health, and so many countries and agencies are involved in healthcare, improving health around the world requires co-operative actions and solutions. This means creative, joined-up partnership both between UK government departments, and between the UK Government and a host of other partners, ranging from the EU and the UN to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), foundations, academia and business. Such a co-operative vision demands a strategy for improving global health and, while the strategy we outline is for the next fi ve years, its vision covers a 10- to 15-year period. The strategy sets out the breadth of global health issues and our plan for tackling them.