European perspectives on global health: a policy glossary

Foreword
This policy glossary is intended to encourage
foundations and other <strong>European</strong> institutions to play
a more active role in global health. It is designed
to inform policy deliberations in the wider political,
economic and social spheres, setting out the
challenges of global health and laying the groundwork
for coordinated, cross-sector <strong>European</strong> action.
Health Organization Regional Office for Europe in
Copenhagen in February 2005. Its publication and
discussion should raise awareness about global health
among foundation and other institution leaders and
should serve as a resource on how global health can
be strengthened in existing programmes and by new
partnership initiatives.
<strong>European</strong> foundations active within the <strong>European</strong>
Foundation Centre and its Europe in the World
initiative have recognised the importance of health
in an interdependent world and have taken a range
of cooperation and networking initiatives with
international organisations, political institutions and
academic organisations. The initiative has urged
foundations to spend 5 % outside Europe on global
and development issues – particularly the Millennium
Development Goals.
The EFC and its members have also recognised
that further information and advocacy is needed to
mobilise political and social action within Europe,
to take the global health agenda forward and to
translate <strong>European</strong> values of sustainable development
and a commitment to human rights into action on
health as a global public good. In short, the key
message is that the <strong>European</strong> Union should play a
more proactive role in global health, together with
foundations, the corporate sector, health professional
groups, NGOs and other <strong>European</strong> organisations.
These should be brought together through networks
such as NEF ( Network of <strong>European</strong> Foundations ),
Europe’s national associations of donors, and
<strong>European</strong> and other national health networks
and institutions with an interest in global health.
The mechanism for this collaboration should be a
<strong>European</strong> Strategy for Global Health.
The idea of a policy glossary was conceived following
a panel at the <strong>European</strong> Health Policy Forum at Bad
Gastein 2004 in which Health Commissioner David
Byrne made a strong plea for a more consolidated
<strong>European</strong> approach to global health. It was reinforced
at a joint meeting between the EFC’s <strong>European</strong>
Partnership for Global Health and the World
Global Health Policy Glossary
In a globalising world there is no such place as
abroad – problems and solutions reach across
national borders resulting in the need for international
collaboration and abolishing the distinction
between internal and external national responses.
The processes of globalisation are leading to the
internationalisation of health risks and ever greater
interdependence. Global health requires cooperation
and coordination. There is a need for opportunities
to exchange ideas and learn from one another, to
develop joint action and to protect, promote and
improve health.
The promotion of a <strong>European</strong> perspective on global
health reflects the long tradition of foundations as
private civil society entities serving public goals. In a
world in which civil society has a global context of
social and political change and the state is no longer
the only guardian of the public interest, foundations
have an even more crucial role in promoting public
benefit and the global public good. The distinctive
characteristics of foundations allow them to add value
as philanthropic “venture capitalists”, facilitating
change in public policy, acting as independent
brokers for new ideas, convening meetings with nontraditional
stakeholders and bringing their unique
<strong>perspectives</strong> to issues of common concern. They can
promote diversity of thought, search for solutions
for action, foster international collaboration, provide
working capital for ideas to bring them to the market
of mainstream funders, and manage the turbulence
associated with new and challenging ideas. This
glossary will help foundations add value in advancing
the global agenda, recognising that the world is
facing an unprecedented set of challenges and that
the current system for global problem-solving is illequipped
to deal with them.
5