Health Diplomacy in Europe

Health diplomacy has been at the core of international action for health since countries began to cooperate on health-related matters. For over 100 years—from the first International Sanitary Conferences to the establishment of a health office of the League of Nations and finally the creation of the World Health Organization—countries have been engaged in coordinated and cooperative action, not only to counter common threats to human health but also to address the many factors that determine health. In a global world with an increasing number of health challenges, the WHO is the legitimate leader with the authority to set agendas, adopt treaties and coordinate international health work. Today health diplomacy includes not only many different actors in the global health arena, but also new mechanisms that allow the wider public to engage. It is a two-way street: health helps build relationships between countries and can act as a bridge for peace, while diplomacy can help create the alliances needed to achieve health outcomes.

Website: International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS / RKK) http://www.icds.ee/

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