Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

56 4. The Role of the Academia in Global Health Giorgio Solimano Cantuarias, Leonel Valdivia Matus, Jorge Ramírez Flores The field of Global Health as an academic discipline has gained greater recognition since the beginning of this century and, more specifically, since 2020 with the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. If there were ever any doubts about public health transcending national and continental borders, they have clearly dissipated. The discovery of SARS-CoV-2 and its rapid transmission on a global scale within a very short period, with dramatic consequences for the affected population, has provided a definitive impetus for the strengthening of Global Health. The field of biomedicine has made significant advancements in managing the emergency: the rapid development of vaccines, sustained increases in epidemiological surveillance capacity, improvement in the quantity and quality of associated tests and progress in the efficiency of genomic sequencing. To a lesser extent, progress has also been made in treating the associated conditions. Numerous academic institutions have played a significant role in these advancements through partnerships unprecedented in terms of scale, with the participation of governments for financing and the private pharmaceutical industry for development and production. Obviously, this progress has been achieved within a global context, as countless national and global actors have been involved from the detection of the pandemic trigger to advancements in its control and treatment. Certainly, we can assert that Global Health has made substantial and impactful contributions in science and the application of advanced knowledge and technologies. Nevertheless, when it comes to population- level interventions - such as metric modeling for precise risk predictions, fostering effective communication for behavioral change among the populace and implementing preventive measures necessitating a population-level, multisectoral and interdisciplinary approach grounded in collaboration - the desired impacts have not been fully realized. Academic institutions with Global Health programs currently enjoy well-deserved recognition but also face significant challenges in the future due to epidemics and potential pandemics of diverse nature. The research and teaching of Global Health The field of Global Health is dynamic and evolving, which poses challenges for teaching and research worldwide. Efforts are required to incorporate these concepts and new competencies effectively (Sawleshwarkar & Negin,