Towards a European Concept for Global Health

The expression ‘Global Health’ is widely used by many organizations working on different aspects of health and development. Due to the large variety of stakeholders at global level, a plethora of definitions exist and it seems as if the term is fueled by the many different backgrounds and objectives of the individual stakeholders. At the core of any global health debate however, is the need for understanding and acknowledging the global interdependencies and their corresponding impact on health. Recognizing this principle also implies that beliefs about well established concepts such as public- and international health require some reconsideration.

The European Union’s (EU) approach to global health has been outlined in the Commission’s Communication on the EU Role on Global Health from 2010, in which it is stated that Global Health should be understood as “an expansive multi-sectoral area that links not only the main policy areas of development, humanitarian assistance, research and health, but also of trade and foreign policy”. While this definition still leaves room for interpretation, the EU clearly acknowledged the multisectoral approach to global health. The practical implications of such an approach however, are still relatively ambiguous. This presentation will therefore provide an introductory overview of the EU’s understanding of global health and will link it to existing European policies and strategies as well as to international agreements and treaties. It will highlight the potential of such a global health approach but will also identify the barriers that the EU is confronted with in such an approach. Furthermore, the presentation will show how the relationships between the EU and non-European countries are likely to change under the global health strategy.