Health and security : why the containment of infectious diseases alone is not enough

Zusammenfassung: The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) highlights the urgent need to strengthen cooperation between security, health, and development actors. As the disease spreads, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international health emergency. In crisis situations like these, the interdependencies between health and security are highly complex. Which population groups and which diseases are perceived as suspected health risks, and why, is a normative question for donor countries. It has political consequences above all for affected developing countries. Where health and security are common goals, it is not enough to contain infectious diseases in developing countries. Instead, resilient, well-functioning, and accessible health systems must be established. This fosters the implementation of the human right to health, creates trust in state structures, and takes into account the security interests of other states. In the United Nations (UN) Security Council, the German government could advocate for policies based on the narrative "stability through health."

Object Details

• Alternative title: Gesundheit und Sicherheit
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: 1 Online-Ressource (4 Seiten)
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: "English version of SWP-Aktuell 41/2019"

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: SWP comment ; no. 32 (August 2019) ; SWP comment ; no. 32 (August 2019)

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Soziale Probleme, Sozialdienste, Versicherungen
• Keyword: Vereinte Nationen ; Umweltgefährdung ; Weltproblematik ; Epidemie ; Therapie ; Gesundheitspolitik ; Entwicklungspolitik ; Sicherheitspolitik ; Politik ; Notlage ; Humanität ; Krisenmanagement ; Fähigkeit ; Regulierung ; Organisation ; Beispiel ; Entwicklung ; Tendenz ; Erde

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Berlin
• (who): SWP
• (when): [August 2019]
• Creator: Gulati, Daniel ; Voss, Maike
• Contributor: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

Further information

• DOI: 10.18449/2019C32
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023112321283504613588
• Rights: Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:42 PM CET