Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Health is inextricably linked to human security. This notably manifests in relation to the spread of infectious diseases—an issue historically salient in interstate politics compared to other areas of health—alongside, more recently, bioterrorism. Yet the concept of global health security can encompass a broad array of issues related to human health and well-being, as reflected by the diversity of topics covered in this section. This chapter outlines a definition of health security and reviews its evolution in the context of a globalized world—with a focus on the act of securitizing health and its implications. Drawing on health security literature and underpinned by securitization theory, the chapter highlights how health securitization interacts with shifts in global health actors, institutions, financing, and policy agendas. This offers a lens of analysis through which to consider issues, and debates in global health security with the aim of understanding who benefits from securitization of health, who is harmed by these processes, and their implications for relevant actors and ideas. The chapter then explores how these concepts apply to policy processes and reforms during and after outbreaks, tracing common themes through outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (commonly known as SARS), Ebola, and COVID-19, to illuminate policy implications of securitizing health. This application illustrates how the continuing evolution of health security underscores enduring questions in international politics while also giving rise to new ones.</jats:p>