Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

314 systems of governance to address these new realities. It does not matter how crises are faced: doing so collaboratively will always be better than doing it alone. The topics covered in this volume aim to provide updates and future perspectives, according to the views of authors specialized in the subjects discussed. Therefore, in this epilogue, it seems important and illustrative to highlight the central concepts and messages covered in this volume. The first part of the book addresses general aspects of Global Health. From a Latin American perspective, a profound critique is presented regarding the hegemonic knowledge and practice concerning Global Health, illustrated with some examples. Furthermore, the process of globalization and the particular interests of central countries are discussed, making the governance of global health institutions relatively obsolete, particularly that of the WHO. Despite this, some collaborative efforts between countries and institutions are described, with emphasis on the Americas region. Similarly, the impact of inequality and limited socioeconomic development associated with Global Health is analyzed. It is also evident that education in this field is still incipient in Latin America as it adopts characteristics specific to practicing countries. This highlights a difference from historical stereotypes prevailing among universities in more developed countries, which establishes a marked distinction between global North and South regions. Finally, the relationship between economic development and health level is contextualized through different historical stages experienced in Latin America with special focus on Chile’s healthcare system. The second part focuses on environmental risk factors. Globalization, inequality and weak economic growth generate pressures on the environment. Six specific environmental problems affecting human health are analyzed with approaches that have yielded diverse results from a Global Health perspective. The definition of biodiversity is further explored along with attempts to understand it from theory while preserving it through concerted government action. Furthermore, the main definitions related to climate change and global warming are discussed alongside their key mechanisms as well as a historical perspective on global initiatives within Latin America and specifically Chile, aimed at addressing their causes and consequences. A group of major health problems are examined in the third part. In terms of communicable diseases, it is confirmed that vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, and epidemiological surveillance should have a more significant territorial component. In the prevention of non- communicable chronic diseases, the need to invest and intervene effectively in the population food environments is emphasized. Different models for