Global Health

Global health is the health of populations in the global context; it has been defined as "the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide". Problems that transcend national borders or have a global political and economic impact are often emphasized. Thus, global health is about worldwide health improvement (including mental health), reduction of disparities, and protection against global threats that disregard national borders.

Global health integrates expertise and perspectives from the fields of public health, medicine, epidemiology, health economics, behavioural science, environmental sciences and anthropology, among others. It provides a new platform for research, education and information on health challenges faced by the world population.

Humans of Global Health

Global Health is ' hot'. Even in a world where wars, terrorism, fundamentalism and racism so often seem to dictate the world news and social media, if you stick to the data the world really is a better place than 25 years ago. A world with less poverty, better health, better education, better everything really.

As Mark Twain wrote already a very long time ago: " Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." So it is clear that people should travel more!

Read Johan Norberg's book 'Progress'. Or read 'World's Best News' by Dutch 'Curious Cosmopolitan' Ralf Bodelier. And check out the late Hans Rosling at the Gapminder website and on Ted.com with the ' Best stats you' ve ever seen'.

Your Perspective

The map above shows you the institutes/countries you can choose to go to with the Minor Global Health 2017, organized by Global Health Education Erasmus (GHEE). So take a look around and travel with us, to see the world indeed is a better world now, not perfect, but better. Meet new people, experience new cultures, new health care problems and solutions, get inspired and, like Erasmus himself, become a real 'human of global health'!