March 30, 2020 update: As the coronavirus pandemic spread around the globe, USIP published a new Q&A with Dr. William Long, author of "Pandemics and Peace." The 2011 Q&A is below.
"Pandemics and Peace" author William Long
The spread of naturally occurring or man-made biological threats—such as Avian flu, Swine flu, Severe Accute Respitory Syndrome present a grave security and humanitarian threat regionally and globally. Global economic and political stability could fall victim to a pandemic. As health provision has become a primary public good and part of the social contract between a people and its government, accelerating transnational flows, particularly of pathogens, can stress and could overwhelm a government’s capacity to meet this essential function. Weak states could fail economically or politically, thereby creating regional instability and a breeding ground for terrorism or human rights violations.
Although the peril is great, so too is the promise of building cooperation through regional disease surveillance, detection, and response. Here is the positive potential of globalization: it can facilitate the rapid responses to health challenges by quickly mobilizing health professionals, medicines, and supplies, and by deploying information technology for disease surveillance and sharing best health practices across nations.
While largely unnoticed, countries with a history of conflict are cooperating across borders in the Middle East, the Mekong Delta, and parts of Africa in infectious disease detection, control, and response.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
March 30, 2020 update: As the coronavirus pandemic spread around the globe, USIP published a new Q&A with Dr. William Long, author of "Pandemics and Peace." The 2011 Q&A is below.
"Pandemics and Peace" author William Long
The spread of naturally occurring or man-made biological threats—such as Avian flu, Swine flu, Severe Accute Respitory Syndrome present a grave security and humanitarian threat regionally and globally. Global economic and political stability could fall victim to a pandemic. As health provision has become a primary public good and part of the social contract between a people and its government, accelerating transnational flows, particularly of pathogens, can stress and could overwhelm a government’s capacity to meet this essential function. Weak states could fail economically or politically, thereby creating regional instability and a breeding ground for terrorism or human rights violations.
Although the peril is great, so too is the promise of building cooperation through regional disease surveillance, detection, and response. Here is the positive potential of globalization: it can facilitate the rapid responses to health challenges by quickly mobilizing health professionals, medicines, and supplies, and by deploying information technology for disease surveillance and sharing best health practices across nations.
While largely unnoticed, countries with a history of conflict are cooperating across borders in the Middle East, the Mekong Delta, and parts of Africa in infectious disease detection, control, and response.