Global Health in Latin-American academic institutions: towards a distinctive development and identity

Abstract

Global Health is a relatively recent development in Latin American academic institutions. Its expansion among such institutions has been slow in comparison with its explosive development in European and North American countries. This article presents an overview of the main Global Health teaching and research programs that have emerged over the past decade at universities and institutes of the Region. Likewise, it describes the creation of ALASAG, a network of academic institutions interested in Global Health, through which the voice of Latin America is being heard in world Global Health fora. The authors propose that the Global Health work at Latin American academic institutions should be based on a distinctive, Region-based, conceptual vision and identity of Global Health. Such Latin American vision must necessarily involve a critical stance on the capitalist economic globalization phenomenon inspired by the neoliberal ideology. From this critical stance, the authors propose a number of priority areas for Global Health teaching, research and advocacy for Latin America academic institutions including, among others, equitable access to health, economic globalization and its effect on health equity, and international trade liberalization and protection and its impact on the environment and human health.