Global determinants of health: new concept for control of pandemics

Abstract

Control and prevention of pandemics like COVID-19, is based on many factors that are not under authority of health system. Like “Social Determinants of Health” for inequity, we need to define a new concept in which factors that influence on wide spread of communicable and even non-communicable diseases are categorized. In this manuscript the concept of “Global Determinants of Health” is introduced as the key factors in controlling large scale epidemics and pandemics in global level. International transport and transit, Migration, tourism, world trading, market exclusivity, abroad and overseas workers, income, per-capita growth domestic product, radicalism, racism, and extreme nationalism, war, politics, international health organizations power and, influence, climate change, source of energy and, internet influence rate, are introduced as the main global determinants of health. They are in international level and affect rate of disease spread in many countries. Paying attention to these factors and controlling them could be effective in prevention and control of COVID-19 and future epidemics and pandemics.