Global health security an emerging issue

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  • By Pacific Air Forces
  • Pacific Air Forces
HONOLULU --  Five years ago when a mysterious and fatal respiratory illness spread throughout Asia, an increasingly worried public feared going outside. Economies suffered in the wake of decreased tourism and loss of consumer confidence. Scientists worldwide worked around the clock to discover the cause of the illness.

Recently this scenario drew on the world's experience with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) to illustrate threats to global health security during a briefing for the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) Transnational Security Cooperation course here June 16.

"Our relationship with APCSS is an excellent forum to network with current and future senior-level leaders in the Asia-Pacific region and educate them on the impact of health on national and global security," said Col. John Cinco, director PACAF International Health Affairs (IHA) and adjunct professor at APCSS.

Many in the Air Force Medical Service know of the IHA program through its work organizing humanitarian assistance missions. PACAF IHA's close collaboration with APCSS illustrates another role, however, being the subject matter expert in the emerging field of global health security studies.

The briefing presented by Lt. Col. John Oh, a preventive medicine doctor with PACAF IHA, targeted 24 Asia-Pacific country senior leaders, to include the Provincial Governor
of Indonesia and the U.S. Ambassador to Timor-Leste (former East Timor).

"PACAF IHA and APCSS have promoted a vision of health security within the framework of 'comprehensive security,' whereas traditionally, security has been defined by state sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Colonel Oh. "Comprehensive security emphasizes the importance of other areas, such as health, economics, energy, food supply and the environment, which often threaten individuals more on a daily basis."

Preparing for a possible influenza pandemic has been a shared interest of PACAF IHA and APCSS. The issue of global health security studies is an emerging field of study among security practitioners, according to Colonel Oh.

During the day-long briefing, leaders were cautioned to remain vigilant in preparing for pandemic influenza.

"Despite SARS ceasing to be a global public health crisis after nine months and close to 900 hundred deaths world-wide, the biology of a pandemic strain of influenza virus would most likely have e a much shorter incubation period and higher rate of infection which would challenge public health efforts to control spread," Colonel Oh said.

"The economic devastation of pandemic influenza would be unprecedented. SARS cost Asia-Pacific economies an estimated $40 billion as tourism declined and consumer confidence plummeted," he added.
"Health security is an issue that transcends national borders and any organizational boundaries," said Army Lt. Gen. (retired) Ed Smith, APCSS director. "Education and cooperation among many organizations is essential to meet these threats, and working with PACAF IHA is a wonderful opportunity for us to share their knowledge with representatives throughout the Asia-Pacific region."

In addition to briefing senior leaders on global health security, the PACAF IHA team has regularly taught health security at the center's Advanced Security Cooperation (ASC) course for mid-career security practitioners and IHA members have been students at the six-week course.

"The PACAF IHA team will continue to work with APCSS on promoting health security as an important topic requiring the active engagement of security leaders in the Asia-Pacific region," said Colonel Cinco.

APCSS is a DoD academic institute that addresses regional and global security issues, inviting military and civilian representatives of the United States and 45 Asia-Pacific nations to its comprehensive program of executive education and conferences.