The securitization of health in the context of the war on terror. National security and global health: the conflict of imperatives

Abstract

In this article, I want to show that the securitization of health issues in the name of national interests led to the militarization of health care in the context of the war against terrorism. However, the connection between health and security also gave way to the emergence of the notion of human security, thus, converging with the human right to health approach and the cosmopolitan discourse on global health. These two perspectives on the relation between health and security lead to conflicting imperatives in the current state of counter-terrorism operations. I argue that when the securitization of health concerns in the name of national security conflicts with the provision of health care in the name of universal human rights, the higher moral end must trump the prudential one. Moreover, it is a duty to promote the human right to health when liberal democracies in foreign policies directly violate this moral ideal in the name of national security.

Keywords:

• Securitization of health
• national security
• global health
• human right
• counterterrorism

Acknowledgement

I am indebted to François Boucher and Maud Gauthier Chung for their valuable assistance with the English version of this article.