Foreign policy and global public health: working together towards common golas

Pandemics, emerging diseases and bioterrorism are readily understood as direct threats to national and global security. But health issues are also important in other core functions of foreign policy, such as pursuing eco-nomic growth, fostering development, and supporting human rights and hu-man dignity. Health is today a growing concern in foreign policy.Public health has often been placed in a reactive role in dealing with the consequences of policies it had no influence in shaping. This remains true of the current crisis caused by soaring food prices. Applying a “health lens” to this crisis reveals the hidden impacts: more malnutrition in women and children, and silent deaths. These are realities every bit as important to for-eign policy as the more visible protests and social unrest.When foreign policy-makers do pay attention to public health, it has tended to be in times of crisis such as with SARS and avian flu. Health com-petes poorly with other priorities in the absence of crisis. The interdependence that globalization brings results in a common vulnerability that requires a collective response. This has transformed the foreign policy–health linkage.To move towards foreign policy that accounts for public health concerns is the mission of the Foreign Policy and Global Health (FPGH) initiative launched by the foreign ministers of Brazil, France, Indonesia, Norway, Senegal, South Africa and Thailand. This initiative seeks to promote the use of a health lens in formulating foreign policy to work together towards com-mon goals.The FPGH issued the Oslo Declaration and Agenda for Action in March 2007.