Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

22 1. Global Health: Characterization, Relevance, and Approach Giorgio Solimano Cantuarias, Jorge Ramírez Flores and Alex Alarcón Hein Since the beginning of the 21 st century, global health has gained increasing attention from academia, governments, international organizations and civil society organizations worldwide, including Latin America, where it has acquired its own identity closely linked to the characteristics of development in our countries, where inequality and inequity affect large sectors of the population. The training of healthcare professionals and professionals from other disciplines, as well as the strengthening of research in medical schools and schools/institutes of public health, has gained legitimacy. This has led to the establishment of a growing number of global health programs and centers at the university level. The education in global health provided by Latin American universities differs from that in North America and Europe, as it primarily focuses on the effects of globalization on population health, policies and healthcare systems in our countries, and emphasizes a critical analysis of institutional structures and dominant power structures in contemporary society. Interinstitutional and international collaboration is another notable characteristic of the approach to global health in our region as it prioritizes the establishment of alliances, partnerships and networks. These, if well utilized, can significantly contribute to the social and economic development of our societies. Governments have also recognized the importance of global health in international relations and diplomacy, foreign trade, regulation of the pharmaceutical and food industries, accreditation of migrant professionals and intercountry transmission of communicable diseases. However, working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community organizations has only been marginally addressed so far and is therefore a pending matter. The field of global health (similar to its predecessors, international health and tropical health) originated and continues to receive its momentum primarily from the Global North, which includes some countries located in the Southern Hemisphere, while the Global South, consisting of countries with lower economic and social development, has mainly been the recipient of collaboration and host to consultants, researchers and students seeking experiences in topics of this field. Both in academic institutions in the North and in various international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, the discourse on global health varies from the traditional altruism of alleviating health problems in poor countries (similar to the discourse of international health in the early and mid-20 th century), to projecting themselves as institutions of excellence in health research and education worldwide.