Noncommunicable Diseases as a Global Health Emergency: the World Health Organization, Public Health Knowledge, and the Internationalization of Policy

The research objectives for my dissertation project include the following,
- Analyze how NCDs emerged as an international concern through examination of WHO publications and discursive strategies,
- Gain understanding of how the internationalization of health care policy is shaped by the WHO,
- Explore how the policy transfer process between the international and national levels influences health care reform,
- Investigate how the WHO uses discursive strategies to influence national policies,
- Examine how policy, recommendations, and health knowledge transition between international and national policy levels,
- Understand how the WHO’s involvement in making recommendations to Member States surrounding NCDs influences health services in different countries, and
- Analyze how the countries have or have not taken up WHO recommendations and why this may be through an analysis of national policies.

The support of the Brocher Foundation will make it possible to carry out interviews at the WHO, in which I can seek clarification on any issues surrounding the WHO publications, and ask WHO experts questions about the organizational history of these publications and the NCD strategy, and about their efforts to influence health care policy in Member States.  A two month stay will be most appropriate in order to manage interviewing schedules and use the time spent with the foundation to continue the WHO document analysis (see proposed timeline).