Global Health

What is a pandemic? A pandemic is defined as the spread of an infectious disease that extends across several regions of the world, affecting many countries and a large number of people. It is characterised by exceeding the expected number of cases and remaining active for an extended period. [...]

What is it? Planetary health is an interdisciplinary and global approach that seeks to ensure human well-being and the balance of the ecosystems on which we depend. It focuses on studying the relationship between human health and the state of the environment, recognising that environmental degradation, climate change, biodiversity [...]

What is incidence? Incidence is an epidemiological measure used to quantify the occurrence of new cases of a disease in a given population over a given period of time. There are two main ways of measuring incidence: Incidence rate (IR): The frequency with which new cases of a disease [...]

What is One Health? One Health is a comprehensive and unifying approach that seeks to balance and optimise the health of people, animals, and ecosystems through integration rather than treating them separately. It recognises that the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems is closely interrelated. It points out that changes [...]

What is migrant health? The term “migrant health” refers to the set of factors influencing the well-being of people on the move, including international migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons, before, during and after migration. As migratory experiences are highly diverse, there is no single migrant profile; [...]

What is equity? Health equity is when all people have the same opportunity to reach their full potential for health and well-being. It is not the same as equality, which means giving everyone the same thing. Equity, on the other hand, means giving everyone what they need. For example, a [...]

What is prevalence? Prevalence is the proportion of people in a population who have a disease or health condition, either at a particular time or over a period of time. Because it is a proportion, its value is between 0 and 1, where 0 means no one has the [...]

What is the difference between eliminating and eradicating a disease? Although it may not seem like it, there is a huge difference between eliminating a disease and eradicating it. Eliminating a disease means that the disease is no longer transmitted in a specific region of the world, but still exists [...]

What is it? Emerging diseases are those that appear for the first time in the human population or whose incidence and distribution increase rapidly. An example is COVID-19, which emerged in late 2019 and spread worldwide. Other examples include diseases such as Zika and the Oropuche virus, which have [...]

What are Early Warning Systems? Early Warning Systems (EWS) are integrated tools designed to identify, monitor, and communicate potential emergencies before they cause harm. Their main goal is to reduce human, social, and economic losses by enabling an early and coordinated response to disasters. These systems work by combining hazard [...]

What is Steatotic Liver Disease? Steatotic liver disease (SLD), formerly known as “fatty liver disease”, covers a range of conditions in which fat accumulates within hepatocytes, the cells that make up the majority of the liver. This accumulation is not always accompanied by liver damage, as the liver is [...]

What is public health? Public health is the set of activities undertaken by the government authorities (in partnership with society) to protect, promote and restore the health of the population. It uses a range of strategies that benefit both individuals and the community as a whole. Protecting health Health protection [...]