The securitization of health in the Trump era

Abstract

Though global health has attained a prominent position on the global political agenda over the course of a generation, the inauguration of the Trump Administration in the United States threatens to challenge this international consensus. He has evinced scepticism about the value of multilateralism, called for significant cuts to foreign aid, and expressed fear that foreigners would bring disease to the United States. In the face of these challenges and the need to at least maintain current levels of international commitment to global health to prevent reverses in health gains, I argue that the securitisation of health may offer a pragmatic strategy for keeping the United States engaged on global health issues.