Every day you hear it in the news. An outbreak of infectious disease, chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer on the rise, or enfamine causing death, illness, disasters, devastating the health of survivors. Health system struggling, to meet the needs of the population they serve. Or on a more positive note, we hear everyday about new discoveries that could potentially combat some very, very old enemies, like malaria and tuberculosis, and new enemies like HIV/AIDS. Now, when you hear about these events, you're not just hearing about discreet events. Taken as a whole, all of these items that I've just talked about, represent the challenges of global health. Which we define as an area for study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health, for people all over the world. My name is Dr. David Boyd. I'm a Professor at the Duke Global Health Institute at Duke University. And I'm teaching this course, because I think that since global health affects everyone. Everyone should have a basic knowledge, about this topic. Now I have travelled, studied, and researched in over 50 different countries. And during my time working in this field, I've seen both the possibilities and the challenges, for improving health outcomes around the world. My goal in this course is to introduce you to the field of global health, so that you can understand the challenges that we face, and the role that you can play in creating a better future. In this course, we're going to analyze the current global burden of disease and its complex causes. We will also survey the major health challenges around the world. We will examine some strategies, and solutions to address these challenges. And we will investigate the future of global health, and the role that you can play. We'll also be engaging in a global health exercise, where you will apply what you've learned to a health challenge in your own country or region. Throughout this course, you'll be watching videos, taking in video tests, reading some fascinating case studies, and engaging in discussions with students from all over the world. I will also be sharing with you some videos and photographs from my travels, that illustrate some of the challenges that we face as a global village. I hope that you will join me, as we explore a topic so important to us all.