Global Health Security

 

Global health security is the existence of strong and resilient public health systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats, wherever they occur in the world. In today's interconnected world, a disease threat anywhere is a threat everywhere – and outbreaks can disrupt American lives and livelihoods even if they never reach America's shores.

As the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious disease outbreaks have demonstrated, diseases can cross borders, disrupt societies, and threaten global stability. Strengthening global health security is a vital national security priority, and is essential to protecting the health, lives, and economic well-being of the American people.

As the United States' health protection agency, CDC works 24/7 to save lives and protect people from health threats.

Preventing the Spread of Infectious Diseases

Stopping outbreaks at their source is the most effective and cost-efficient way to save lives and prevent deadly diseases from spreading across borders and continents. Since 2002, the Global Fund partnership has saved over 65 million lives, cut the combined death rate from HIV, TB and malaria by 63% and helped to contain dangerous pathogens that have threatened countries around the world.

Through our investments to fight these three diseases, the Global Fund has consistently supported countries to strengthen health systems and respond more rapidly to new and emerging threats. When COVID-19 hit, we acted immediately, reprogramming existing grants and mobilizing US$5 billion in additional funding to support countries in mounting large-scale, effective responses. As the emergency phase of the pandemic passed, we adapted our approach, shifting investments to focus on pandemic preparedness: strengthening laboratory networks with enhanced biosecurity, expanding early warning systems and supporting frontline health workers.

By preventing the spread of deadly diseases, the Global Fund not only saves lives – it also builds essential defenses against future pandemics, making it a proven, ready-to-use tool for global health security.

Strengthening Health and Community Systems

Strong health and community systems are the first and best defense against infectious diseases and pandemics. The Global Fund is the largest multilateral investor in health system strengthening, investing US$6 billion between 2024 and 2026. We are also the only global health institution that directly funds both governments and communities at scale – ensuring resources reach both the national level and the local level where care is delivered and outbreaks are first detected.

The same systems we invest in to fight HIV, TB and malaria – from
laboratories and supply chains to trained health workers – are the ones countries rely on to detect and contain emerging threats. For example, when a deadly new strain of mpox surfaced in Uganda in July 2024, the country’s rapid response was enabled by a robust national lab network strengthened through significant Global Fund support. The outbreak was contained before it could spread.

Every dollar the Global Fund invests in stronger, more resilient health systems helps countries stop outbreaks before they spiral out of control – safeguarding health security and lives in every corner of the world.

Enhancing Disease Surveillance and Early Warning Systems

Robust disease surveillance is the backbone of global health security. It enables countries to detect outbreaks early, respond quickly and prevent local threats from becoming global ones.

Our investments in HIV, TB and malaria, as well as dedicated funding for strong and responsive disease surveillance systems, have supported the data systems, laboratory networks and skilled health workforces that are now critical for spotting new and re-emerging threats. Between 2021 and 2025, we are investing US$400 million in surveillance systems strengthening in 94 countries – equipping them to act faster and more effectively. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, Global Fund support is helping to digitize the national disease reporting and early alert systems. These systems were critical in detecting and responding to a mysterious disease that emerged recently in a remote corner of the country, which was later confirmed to be a strain of severe malaria presenting itself as a respiratory illness.

We support countries to develop and operate integrated data systems, embedding HIV, TB and malaria monitoring within broader national systems. This approach makes surveillance more efficient, sustainable and pandemic-ready, capable of rapidly tracking and countering new and ongoing threats like Ebola, mpox and drug-resistant pathogens.

Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats to global health and economic security. Already a leading cause of death worldwide, antimicrobial resistance could kill over 10 million people annually and add US$1 trillion in health care costs by 2050. It has grave implications beyond human health, threatening agriculture, food systems, economies and the environment.

The Global Fund combats antimicrobial resistance through our investments to fight HIV, TB and malaria, which expand access to accurate diagnosis, ensure quality-assured medicines and support patients to complete treatment. These actions help slow the development of drug resistance and keep medicines effective.

Beyond the three diseases, our significant investments in health systems strengthen laboratory networks and disease surveillance systems, and promote responsible deployment of antibiotics. This helps countries to better prevent, track, diagnose and treat new threats, drug-resistant infections and dangerous disease variants.

In a connected world, no country is safe from drug-resistant superbugs. By tackling antimicrobial resistance, the Global Fund is protecting the effectiveness of lifesaving medicines and reinforcing health security everywhere.

Enhancing Stability and Security

A safer and more secure world depends on global health. Health crises and fragile health systems can fuel economic instability, social unrest and forced migration, while creating conditions that increase the risk of conflict and extremism.

Strengthening global health is a powerful driver of stability. Efforts to end HIV, TB and malaria as public health threats not only save lives – they reduce inequality, support economic growth and help prevent the kinds of crises that drive displacement and insecurity. Resilient health systems enable countries to detect and contain outbreaks before they escalate, protecting communities, fostering social cohesion, supporting long-term development and prosperity, and accelerating progress toward self-reliance.

Investing in global health protects people, national security, global influence and economic interests. It reduces the risk of pandemics that destabilize entire regions and safeguards supply chains, trade and diplomatic partnerships.

Global health security is national security. The Global Fund’s work doesn’t just reduce the spread of infectious diseases; it contributes to stronger, more stable societies, reinforces international partnerships, unlocks economic opportunities and creates a safer, more prosperous future for all.

In early 2020, news of a novel virus made headlines around the world. In the weeks and months after scientists first identified the COVID-19 coronavirus, the virus quickly spread around the world. 

Epidemiologists have long understood that in our globally connected world, pathogens can easily spread across borders. Global health security aims to prevent pandemics and rapidly respond to infectious disease outbreaks across the globe. 

Infectious diseases pose a complex threat. In the 21st century, the rate of outbreaks has increased. Changes in human behavior play a large role. Over 70 percent of epidemic-prone infectious diseases are transmitted from animals to humans, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Moreover, international trade and travel increase the rate at which diseases spread. 

A humanitarian crisis can quickly spiral into a public health emergency. Epidemics can negatively impact overall community health and exacerbate health disparities. Promoting health security requires a multifaceted, international response. Epidemiologists, front-line healthcare workers, disaster management experts, and public health organizations must work together to track infectious diseases and improve public health outcomes.

What Is Global Health Security? 

An infectious disease threat that begins in one part of the world can easily spread to other parts of the world. Global health security is what focuses on preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease threats. 

Public health organizations around the world work together to monitor and respond to infectious diseases. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leads national efforts to track pathogens, monitor outbreaks, and limit public health threats. The CDC coordinates with other national public health organizations and the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote global health. 

As the CDC warns, an infectious disease can spread from a remote village to major cities on all continents in just 36 hours. Pathogens threatening one region threaten all regions.

An investment in global health security strengthens the global response to public health threats. Preventing the harmful impact of diseases and epidemics benefits everyone around the world. 

The Major Risks to Global Health Security  

 

Globalization has introduced new risks to health security. As contact between humans and wild Animals increases, so does the risk of disease transmission. Global networks that cross oceans in a matter of hours spread diseases faster than ever before in history.

Similarly, public health triumphs have created new risks. Antibiotics have saved countless lives while also leading to drug-resistant pathogens. The world eradicated smallpox in the 1970s thanks to global vaccination and disease surveillance; however, research laboratories still house samples of the smallpox virus. 

The following are the top global health security risks today, according to the CDC:

          Emergence and spread of infectious diseases, such as

          The novel coronavirus identified in 2019

     Globalization of trade and travel, allowing diseases to spread faster

           Rise of drug-resistant pathogens, such as antibiotic-resistant E. coli

     Risk of intentional or accidental release of dangerous pathogens

Disaster preparation requires an understanding of these risks. Disease surveillance systems can help public health organizations identify and respond to infectious disease threats. 

 

BONES HEALTH

 

Health Lesson: Learning About Bones

Information on this blog is mapped to national science and health education standards and is for students in grades 4 through 6 who are learning about the human body. Teachers may also use these resources to inform their lesson plans.

For Student

Bones give your body shape, help you move, protect your organs, and more! On this page, you can learn about bones, what happens when they get hurt, and how to keep them healthy?

What are bones?

Bones are the hard, rigid connective tissue that make up the skeleton, providing structural support, protection for organs and enabling movement. They are living tissues, constantly being remodeled and repaired. 

Bones keep your body healthy in many ways. They:

·    Support and hold up your body. Without bones your body would be a squishy blob on the ground.

·    Help you move. Muscles work together with bones to move your body around.

·    Protect your organs. Some bones shield your organs from injury. For example, your ribs protect your heart and lungs, and your skull protects your brain.

        Make blood cells. Some types of bone                have a jelly-like material inside                           called bone marrow (MEH-row). New                blood cells are made inside the bone                  marrow!

·    Store energy. Some types of bone, like the leg bones, contain cells that store fat and release it when your body needs energy.

·    Store minerals and vitamin D. Bones can store minerals like calcium and phosphorus, and vitamin D, and release them when your body needs them.

1.   The periosteum (peh-ree-ow-STEE-uhm) is a thin membrane covering the bone that contains nerves and blood vessels.

    2.   Compact bone is the dense and hard outer layer of the bone that you see when you look at a skeleton.

3.   Cancellous (KAN-suh-luhs) bone is inside the compact bone. It is full of holes and looks a little like a sponge. Bone marrow fills in the holes of the sponge.  

How do bones grow?

Bone tissue is constantly changing in a process called remodeling. All the time, old or damaged bone tissue is broken down, and new bone tissue is made to replace it. When you’re young, new bone is made faster than old bone is broken down, which means that your bones get denser and stronger. In most people, the amount of bone tissue in the skeleton peaks by their mid- to late 20s.

What happens when bones break?

 

Broken bones are also called fractures (FRAK-chrz). The break can go through only part of the bone or completely through it.

It hurts to break a bone! There might also be swelling and bruising. If you are injured and go to the doctor, the doctor may take pictures of your bone with x-rays to see if it is broken. If you do have a broken bone, the doctor may put on a cast, splint, or brace to keep the bone from moving around as it heals, and to make sure it heals correctly. Sometimes, bones move so much when they break that the doctor has to “set the bone”—put it back in the right place before putting a cast, splint, or brace on it.

 

Most broken bones heal within a few months. First, your body forms a blood clot around the break to protect it and deliver the cells that will heal it. Next, a healing zone called a callus (KA-luhs) forms around the break. It joins the bones together. At first, the callus is soft, but it gets harder and stronger as the bone heals.

How can I help keep my bones healthy?

 

Avoid bone injuries.

Wear the right equipment to protect your bones. Always wear a helmet to protect your skull while biking, scootering, skateboarding, or skating. You can also wear elbow and knee pads to protect your arms and legs.

When playing sports like football, soccer, lacrosse, or ice hockey, always wear all the right equipment. Make sure the safety gear fits you, or else it might not do its job.

Exercise.

 

Get plenty of physical activity every day. Your bones respond to exercise by making new bone tissue, which helps keep them strong.

To keep bones healthy, do activities that put weight on your bones. Playing basketball, kickball, walking, jumping rope, and dancing are good examples.

Eat well to keep your bones healthy.

 

Calcium and vitamin D.  Bones are made of a mineral called calcium phosphate? To keep bones strong, you need to get that calcium from food or supplements. You can get calcium from milk, cheese, and yogurt. Leafy green vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale are also important sources of calcium.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium in the foods you eat. You can get vitamin D from certain foods like eggs, fish, and special types of orange juice, milk, and cereals that have vitamin D added to them.

Eat a balanced diet. Try to eat a combination of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy.  Eating a variety of foods and being active every day helps keep your body healthy and strong. While you need both muscle and fat for your body to work properly, in general, having more healthy muscle tissue helps keep your bones healthy.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

  

                                           Benefits of 

                             regular physical activity

The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, no matter their age, sex or physical ability.

Need more convincing to get moving? Check out these seven ways that exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you.

1. Exercise controls weight

Types of Exercise for Weight Control:

·         Aerobic Exercise:

Activities like brisk walking, running, cycling, and swimming increase your heart rate and breathing, burning calories and improving metabolic health. 

·         Resistance Training:

Lifting weights helps build muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolism. 

·         Combination Approach:

Combining aerobic exercise with resistance training is particularly effective for maximizing fat loss and muscle mass maintenance.

Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help you keep off lost weight. When you take part in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn.

Regular trips to the gym are great, but don't worry if you can't find a large chunk of time to exercise every day. Any amount of activity is better than none. To gain the benefits of exercise, just get more active throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator or rev up your household chores. Consistency is key.

2. Exercise combats health conditions and diseases

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight is, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which lowers your risk of heart and blood vessel, called cardiovascular, diseases.

Regular exercise helps prevent or manage many health problems and concerns, including:

·         Stroke.

A stroke happens when there is a loss of blood flow to part of the brain. Your brain cell cannot get the oxygen and nutrients they need from blood, and they start to die within a few minutes. This can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death. 

·         Metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of medical condition, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low (HDL) good cholesterol, and abdominal obesity., that collectively increase the risk of hearts disease, stroke and two types of diabetes.   

·         High blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a common condition that affects the body's arteries. It's also called hypertension. If you have high blood pressure, the force of the blood pushing against the artery walls is consistently too high. The heart has to work harder to pump blood.

·         Type 2 diabetes.

Over time, high blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart. This can happen because the pancreas doesn't make enough of a hormone called insulin that helps sugar enter the cells. It happens also because the cells respond poorly to insulin by taking in less sugar.

 

·         Depression.

·         A mood disorder:

Depression is more than just feeling sad; it's a mental health condition that affects how you feel, think, and behave. 

·         Pervasive low mood:

It involves a pervasive low mood or a significant loss of pleasure or interest in activities once enjoyed. 

·         Interferes with daily life:

The symptoms are serious enough to interfere with your ability to function at work, school, or home. 

·         Anxiety.

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat. It can be a normal reaction to stress. For example, you might feel anxious when faced with a difficult problem at work, before taking a test, or                                                                                 before making an important decision.

·         Many types of cancer.

Breast cancer.

·         Lung cancer.

·         Prostate cancer.

·         Colorectal cancer.

·         Melanoma.

·         Bladder cancer.

·         Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

·         Kidney cancer.

     
  Arthritis.

Arthritis means redness and swelling (inflammation) of a joint. A joint is where 2 or more bones meet. There are more than 100 different arthritis diseases. Rheumatic diseases include any condition that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones.

·         Falls.

In a medical context, a fall is defined as an unintentional event where a person or patient comes to rest on the ground or a lower surface. This definition typically excludes falls resulting from overwhelming hazards or major intrinsic events like a stroke, but includes them if they are not the cause of the fall itself. Falls can be unassisted or assisted by another person, and while a fall can occur with or without injury, the potential for injury is a significant concern. 

    

It also can help improve cognitive function and helps lower the risk of death from all.                                                                                                                                      

3. Exercise improves mood

Need an emotional lift? Or need to lower stress after a stressful day? A gym session or brisk walk can help. Physical activity stimulates many brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious.

You also may feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

4. Exercise boosts energy

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance.

Exercise sends oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep

Struggling to snooze? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to go to sleep.

6. Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life

Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can improve energy levels and give you more confidence about your physical appearance, which may boost your sex life.

But there's even more to it than that. Regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise.

7. Exercise can be fun — and social!

Exercise and physical activity can be fun. They give you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply do activities that make you happy. Physical activity also can help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting.

So take a dance class, hit the hiking trails or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. Bored? Try something new, or do something with friends or family.

Exercise to feel better and have fun

Exercise and physical activity are great ways to feel better, boost your health and have fun. For most healthy adults, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

·         Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity. Or get at least 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. You also can get an equal combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Aim to spread out this exercise over a few days or more in a week.

For even more health benefits, the guidelines suggest getting 300 minutes a week or more of moderate aerobic activity. Exercising this much may help with weight loss or keeping off lost weight. But even small amounts of physical activity can be helpful. Being active for short periods of time during the day can add up and have health benefits.

·         Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. One set of each exercise is enough for health and fitness benefits. Use a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.