Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

17 that affect public health and global solidarity. Similarly, Sojo (2021) also reports on global governance and the 2030 agenda after the coronavirus pandemic. Another epidemic impact with global economic and social consequences is posed by emerging and (re)emerging diseases: “In the 21st century, we have multiple examples thereof, most with pandemic potential: SARS, H5N1 influenza, H1N1pdm09, H7N9, MERS-CoV, and currently Covid-19. This is in addition to known infections that were limited to certain regions and have spread to others, such as outbreaks of Ebola or the arrival of Chikungunya and Zika in the Americas” (Alpuche-Aranda, 2020). These represent one of the major problems for global public health, food security, and human development globally. This situation is aggravated further because, according to the WHO, “of the total of 56.4 million deaths registered on the planet in 2016, four groups of communicable diseases are among the top ten causes of death, accounting for a total of 6.8 million deaths: lower respiratory infections (3 million), diarrheal diseases (1.4 million), tuberculosis (1.3 million), and HIV/AIDS (1.1 million). Together, they were the third leading cause of death after ischemic heart disease and stroke, which accounted for 15.2 million deaths”. As a result, challenges and threats to health systems and global health practice have increased, reinforcing the need for more investments in health systems. However, these investments must reflect the importance of those who constitute and influence the dynamics of these systems. (Silva & Mendes, 2021). Another vital phenomenon, certainly the most important one, is climate change, which challenges global health. Among the diverse authors and scientific articles on this topic, the call and plea of scientific journals to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021 to tackle the global environmental crisis stand out: “We, the editors of health journals around the world, are calling for urgent action to keep average global temperature rise below 1.5°C, halt the destruction of nature, and protect health” (Atwoli et al., 2021). Health professionals have been rooting and denouncing this concern about the increase in global temperature and the destruction of nature for several decades. In summary, the field of global health presents major socio-health and social challenges that threaten population health. These challenges result into health system needs and global health governance demands. It is critical to maintain focus on the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (UN, 2015) and the various global public health strategies that have been promoted up to now. However, greater initiatives and innovation in global health are required to shed light on solving problems such as major pandemics that threaten humanity and the destruction of the environment