Multimorbidity and the speedy spread of disease in the 21st century - a priority for future global health research

Among the many emerging challenges surrounding global health in the 21^st century, multimorbidity is arguably one of the most problematic.

Referring to the existence of two or more chronic medical conditions in a single individual, multimorbidity has recently attracted an increasing amount of attention; the Academy of Medical Sciences published its first international policy report this year, evaluating the growing issues of multimorbidity as a global health challenge.

With this in mind, it is likely that we will see more graduates of global public health pursuing research and making a difference in this area. 

How is multimorbidity a threat in the 21^st century?

It is expected that between now and 2050, the proportion of people aged over 60 is estimated to almost double, reaching a figure of around 2.1 billion. One of the consequences of an ageing population is that more people around the world are suffering from several diseases simultaneously. Other factors contributing to the issue include high body-mass index, the growing burden of NCDs (type 2 diabetes, for example), and tuberculosis in low- and middle-income counties (LMICs). 

What other types of challenges do graduates of global public health face in the 21^st century where disease and infection are concerned?

Strategies put in place to improve modern public health in the 21^st century need to suit the unpredictability, complexity, and ambiguity of the fast-paced world in which we live. The emergence of new diseases will continue to be a problem but the speed at which they are spreading will be equally difficult to tackle.

Fortunately, improvements in digital communication mean that it is more difficult for disease outbreaks to be kept secret. During the implementation of previous International Health Regulations (notably in 1969), governments were unwilling to report outbreaks for fear of the economic damage they would do to tourism and trade. As the sharing of information grows faster in the 21^st century, identifying problems early will be managed with improved ease. 

Since the 1970s, newly emerging diseases have been identified at the unprecedented rate of one or more per year - there are now nearly 40 diseases that were unknown a generation ago.  Meanwhile, epidemic-prone diseases such as yellow fever and cholera made a comeback in the last quarter of the 20^th century and a new approach was required in preventing, surveying, and controlling them. In some respects, those entering the global public health sector will have a role dealing with the rapid onset of problems that have always existed, rather than new problems unique to the 21^st century. Although there will be new public health issues to tackle, much of the work undertaken by those entering the sector today will involve curbing the speed at which already existent problems are moving. 

Build on your undergraduate degree by undertaking a part-time MSc in Global Public Health at Queen Mary Online that allows you the flexibility to engage in your other commitments alongside your studies.