This week, the U.S. government implemented the largest reorganization of its global health programs in a generation. It consolidated the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program and U.S. diplomatic and foreign policy engagement on global health threats at the U.S. Department of State into a single new structure: a U.S. Global Health Security Bureau led by Ambassador John Nkengasong.
With those changes afoot, our first piece this week, by David Fidler, is well-timed. David’s article relaunches his series on U.S. foreign policy and global health with an overview of the new, complex challenges at local, national, and international levels that have arisen as the COVID emergency recedes. As the United States navigates this post-COVID environment, David argues that U.S. foreign policy on global health runs the risk of confusing “nostalgia for strategy.”
Recently, India extended its restrictions on tobacco content in movies and TV broadcasts to video-streaming platforms such Netflix and Amazon Prime, requiring health warnings whenever tobacco use is depicted. According to our next author, Nandita Murukutla, India is the first to regulate tobacco use on streaming platforms and could serve as a model for health advertising regulations for the digital age.
With August vacations on many people’s minds, Isabella Rolz, our next writer, highlights the Chui Maya ethnic group’s efforts to preserve Laguna Brava, one of Guatemala’s first environmentally sustainable tourism destinations. A strong sense of community and Maya values are just two factors that have allowed Laguna Brava to thrive.
As always, thank you for reading. —Thomas J. Bollyky
