Ever since human migrations began, germs have traveled with people and created health hazards for other communities. In an interconnected world, diseases such as HIV/AIDS and SARS bring about challenges unforeseen prior to the age of air travel. But international cooperation through agencies such as the World Health Organization also allows for quicker response times and collective responses to global health threats. Meanwhile, however, large pharmaceutical companies seeking to maximize profit see little potential in developing vaccines or treatments for diseases that mainly afflict people in poor, developing countries, contributing to another level of global inequality made more visible through increased media exposure and travel opportunities. The following articles have been assembled to shed light on these and other related issues.

Overseas, Under The Knife Arnold Milstein and Mark D. Smith and Jerome P. Kassirer The New York Times, 16 June 2009 Medical tourism may lead to healthier patients if not a healthier medical system

Reminder From a Five-Year-Old Anshel Pfeffer Haaretz, 11 May 2009 Look inside globalization to find the key to mitigating its damage

10 Genes, Furiously Evolving Carl Zimmer The New York Times, 11 May 2009 Virus reassortment is one key to explaining the swine flu’s global spread

Swine Flu Provides a Test of Employers’ Crisis Plans Joe Sharkey The New York Times, 6 May 2009 With previous experience, corporations respond calmly to the swine flu

Containing Flu Is Not Feasible, Specialists Say Donald G. McNeil Jr. The New York Times, 1 May 2009 To combat the swine flu, the WHO favors mitigation, biding time for vaccination

Swine Flu: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Outbreak Bryan Walsh Time Magazine, 27 April 2009 Causes and consequences of the swine flu are a result of globalization

Zimbabwe's Cholera Victims Find Salvation in South Africa Basildon Peta The Independent, 9 December 2008 Poor sanitation, the outbreak of disease and dire working conditions for health care workers burden a continent

Chinese Media Say Tainted Animal Feed Widespread The Associated Press The International Herald Tribune, 31 October 2008 Public complaints on widespread contamination demonstrate government concern

A Lesson in the “Link” Nayan Chanda Businessworld, 16 October 2008 Globalization, with long supply chains and huge markets, requires diligence on every ingredient and procedure

China’s Image Sullied by Tainted Milk Mary Kay Magistad YaleGlobal, 1 October 2008 Putting profit and prestige over safety, China compounds the crisis with a cover-up

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