Impact turns + answers – bfhmrs russia War Good

AT: BRI Doesn’t Solve

The BRI is key to combat disease threats and China has committed to assisting all involved countries in health emergencies.

As China implements its 13th 5-year plan for national economic and social development, one might ask how efforts being proposed will affect global health through the so-called Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative aims to connect the Asian–Pacific Economic Area with the European Economic Area by building up two maritime routes, referred to as the 21st century Silk Road. Thus, although its primary aim relates to trade, the initiative has many implicit influences on global health, some of which we provide insights into here.

The current 5-year plan deviates from the previous 12 strategic plans, which focused on domestic economic growth. The proposed Belt and Road Initiative will provide a channel through which China will facilitate its global health strategy, especially in the global south, through commercial, cultural, and personnel exchanges that will improve bilateral and multilateral regional cooperation.1

With the rapid pace of globalisation, health problems are no longer issues for a single nation. Collective action by multiple countries are necessary to combat global health crises, such as infectious diseases, lifestyle risks, and health inequity, which all span beyond one's sovereign border.2 Disease threats originating from China, such as the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the avian influenza H7N9 pandemic in 2014, could quickly affect the whole world. Similarly, China is confronted by threats from other nations; examples include the 2011 polio outbreak,3 Zika virus in 2016, and the westernisation of its traditional diet, which has led to an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.4 The conventional conceptualisations of protectionism and geopolitics are being challenged because determinants of health often span one's borders and a comprehensive and systematic approach is necessary to find solutions. Concerted efforts to fight chronic diseases, such as diabetes, can advance health equity and development, both nationally and globally.5