Health And Globalization s Impact On Food And People

Health and Globalization’s Impact on Food and People Globalization has profoundly affected the movement of people, food production and dietary habits. Political instability throughout the world has negatively impacted public healthcare systems, already strained by limited funding, increased urbanization, and the emergence of new and previously eradicated diseases that are resistant to available treatments. This paper explores how increased global travel and changes in food production, distribution and consumption are interconnected, effecting health at a global level. The paper acknowledges that globalization has both positive and negative impacts on global health; and argues that opportunities to improve global health are limited by the†¦show more content†¦A total of eleven conferences were held, leading to the Office of International d Hygià ¨ne publique (OIHP) established in 1907 and ultimately to the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) in 1948 (WHO, 2016). Throughout this time the globalization of trade, the movement of people and the spread of infectious disease has grown, exponentially since the end of WWII. Where ocean going ships once dominated, air travel and cargo transportation has grown to have a profound impact on global health. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that eight million people travel by air every day, surpassing the three billion mark annually, and creating abundant opportunities for infected travelers to spread disease and antimicrobial resistance, in route to and at their destinations. Added to this, is the estimated fifty million tons of air cargo transported annually, playing host to vector-borne diseases that can now travel across the globe in a matter of hours (IATA, 2013; Knobler, Mahmoud, Lemon, Pray, 2006). As a carrier of disease, air transportation poses a serious threat to global health. Government regulations and air transportation industry practices attempt to control or at least limit the opportunities for spreading infectious disease by monitoring aircraft and performing routine â€Å"disinsection† by applying insecticides inside cabins and cargo areas. Despite these