Reflexiones sobre salud pública internacional

the objective of this paper is to analyze the most universally accepted concepts and fundamentals on international public health. this can provide one utilitarian dimension since their application in a particular country could contribute to better adjust the public health system to the particularities of the health problems affecting its society and to the influence of the international situation over these problems. it was found that data about the use of this term for the first time was inaccurate and that there was not one universally accepted concept on international public health; as a matter of fact, some authors prefer the term global health. for the analysis, international health should be divided into two poles: international dimension of health on one hand and health as international issue on the other; both make up an intrincate dialectical relation but the overlapping of these two aspects determines the final result. international public health is based on certain ideology and once accepted as a part cut out from the international relations, it is up to every state to determine the scope and range of application of this concept in its territory. it was observed that the international public health aspects are not systematically included in the curricula of the schools of public health in the region; therefore, it is suggested that regional events be held in order to reach consensus with respect to a coherent definition on the term international public health and its conceptual framework.