Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

279 18. Health Diplomacy: Report of an Ongoing Research Project Jorge Ramírez Flores The definitions of various concepts, including Global Health Diplomacy, are continuously evolving due to the expanding nature of the areas covered under the global health perspective. The Covid-19 pandemic, which has spanned more than two years, has unexpectedly contributed to the development and study of diplomatic tools in health. This period has served as an accelerated natural experiment and has providing empirical tests of various theories that have emerged over recent decades on processes in Global Health Diplomacy (Solimano et al., 2021). Elements such as surveillance and epidemiological alertness, the dynamics of medical device markets (e.g., ventilators), disruptions in cross- border flows, the development and financing of new vaccines as well as their global distribution, and the significant impact of the pandemic on national economies have all thrust health and international relations into the global spotlight with an intensity not seen since the world wars. While lessons are being learned on a weekly basis, many will require years to fully comprehend. This article aims to provide a synthesis of the recent emergence of the Global Health Diplomacy concept in international discourse and literature. It will also discuss key findings from a multi-country project to better understand this field from perspectives rooted in the Global South. Lastly, the article will outline some challenges that our country faces, which we believe are relevant for medium-term consideration. Essential Concepts in Global Health Diplomacy Until recently, diplomatic texts largely overlooked health and often relegated it to the realm of humanitarian concerns (Drager & Fidler, 2007). However, the end of the first decade of the 21 st century witnessed the emergence of the term “Global Health Diplomacy” (Kickbusch et al., 2007) that prompts a more systematic examination of the interactions between states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and civil society in the realm of global health. This concept highlights a tension between addressing global health challenges directly and using health- related motivations or processes as means to achieve broader political, social, or economic objectives (Smith & Irwin, 2016). Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, several regional and global health crises, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in