Global health

Whatever the superficial plausibility of the claim that ‘globalisation is good for your health, mostly’, the evidence demands a more complex and nuanced view. Under neoliberal globalisation, the only variant on offer, future improvements in population health are likely to be more uncertain and more unevenly distributed. The chapter makes this case with specific reference to trade and investment agreements; cross-border ‘emerging markets’ including those in health-care services and agricultural land; and the worldwide reach of the negative externalities of globalised finance and financial crises. It concludes with an examination of the interplay of global influences and domestic politics, stressing the importance of considering individual cases and contexts.