Global Health Cheat Sheet
The core ideas of Global Health distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.
Quick Reference
Social Determinants of Health
The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that shape health outcomes. These include income, education, housing, food security, and access to healthcare, and they account for a larger share of health variation than clinical care alone.
Epidemiological Transition
The shift in disease burden from predominantly infectious and nutritional diseases to chronic and non-communicable diseases as countries develop economically and demographically. This transition is driven by improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and medical care.
Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
The principle that all people should have access to the health services they need without suffering financial hardship. UHC encompasses the full spectrum of essential services, from health promotion and prevention to treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.
Disease Burden (DALYs)
Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) measure the total burden of disease by combining years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability. One DALY represents one lost year of healthy life, enabling comparison across diseases and populations.
Health Equity
The absence of unfair, avoidable, or remediable differences in health among population groups defined socially, economically, or geographically. Health equity means that everyone has a fair opportunity to attain their full health potential regardless of social position or circumstances.
Pandemic Preparedness
The planning, coordination, and capacity-building efforts undertaken by governments and international organizations to detect, prevent, and respond to disease outbreaks with pandemic potential. It includes surveillance systems, stockpiling of medical countermeasures, and communication protocols.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
The ability of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites to resist the effects of medications that once effectively treated them. AMR is driven by overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in human medicine, agriculture, and animal husbandry.
Global Disease Surveillance
The systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of health data across countries to detect outbreaks, monitor disease trends, and guide public health responses. Modern surveillance integrates laboratory networks, digital reporting, and genomic sequencing.
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)
A diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions and disproportionately affect populations living in poverty without adequate sanitation and close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals.
One Health
An integrated, unifying approach that recognizes the interconnection between the health of people, animals, and the environment. One Health promotes cross-sectoral collaboration to address threats at the human-animal-environment interface, including zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance.
Key Terms at a Glance
Get study tips in your inbox
We'll send you evidence-based study strategies and new cheat sheets as they're published.
We'll notify you about updates. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.