Introduction to Global Health, Biomaterials, and Therapeutics

Abstract

The general health status of the world has improved substantially over the past two centuries, likely due to a combination of better nutrition, economic growth, public health developments, and improved medical treatments. The last half century alone has seen tremendous improvements, with life expectancies in India and China soaring by approximately 30 years since 1950. Nevertheless, the world is still far from achieving the Millennium Development Goals, eight largely health-related international development objectives established in 2000. As scientists and engineers, it is critical that we assess the state of these and other health goals to determine where the needs are most pressing and where we should direct our research efforts to have a meaningful impact.