A new vision for human security

This week's editorial discusses the implications for global health on a recently published report by the Commission on Human Security-which defines security in terms of human development, human rights, and democracy-and highlights WHO's vital future role in ensuring the report is implemented.

The report states that "poverty-related health threats are perhaps the greatest burden of human insecurity. Most preventable infectious diseases, nutritional deprivation and maternity related risks are concentrated among the world's poor people. Poverty and disease set up a vicious spiral with negative economic and human consequences". The editorial discusses how WHO-under the guidance of Jong Wook Lee (who will be elected as the new Director-General of WHO at the World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 21)-has a crucial future role to play.

The editorial comments: 'WHO needs to recommit itself to health for all, adapted and updated for the 21st century. A part of the programme for securing health as a human right is the creation of primary health-care services in functioning health-care systems. Governments, as SARS has shown all too clearly, need to upgrade their national disease surveillance systems and, under the umbrella of WHO, combine them into a single and inclusive global network…Such early warning systems will be an important measure of WHO's effectiveness in coming years. The security of the world's peoples depends on its success.'

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