About global health
The main theme for ISFiT 2011 is global health, and the festival's name is Globalize this: Health.
ISFiT 2011 defines global health as the health of the world population in an international context, looking beyond purely national perspectives and challenges. The concept covers all aspects of the human health – physical, mental, and social.
Health is more than the absence of illness. Global health includes all people and the way they interact with each other, their living conditions, and their life quality.
Health is an individual resource possessed by all people. By this, health is also a resource for local communities, nations and the world community. The global health affects and is affected by several international conditions – politics, security, economy and culture.
Political conditions affect the global health through both international institutions and national governments. Security aspects like war, conflict, natural disasters and access to resources have a huge impact on the global health. Economic considerations include living standards and access to welfare as well the global health industry. The concept of health also varies depending on cultural and social phenomena like gender, ideology and religion.
The improvement of human rights is one of the most important mechanisms for the long-term improvement of the global health. Global health ties all nations and people together and must therefore be put at the heart of the international agenda.
The ISFiT participants take part in different workshops. These workshops will highlight the festival theme in various ways. You can read more about the workshops here
Here are some pages that might get you started your own journey through global health issues.
Norwegian forum for global health research
Wikipedia, Global Health
World Health Organization
United Nations Millennium Development Goals
UNICEF, Health
Global Health Council
TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, "Global health"
Global Health Overview, Global Issues
Global Forum for Health Research
Research journals / Forskningsjournaler
Global Health Action
Globalization and Health
The Lancet
Norwegian Forum for Global Health Research
