Citation

Glasgow S. J. Hum. Secur. 2008; 4(3): 21-35.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Librello Publishing)

DOI

10.3316/JHS0403021

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Illness has received increased attention in the human security literature, with scholars focusing especially on the threats posed by infectious disease. However, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading source of mortality for nearly every world region. Despite claims that infectious disease threats are distinct from traditional enemies, their construction in the discourse does not validate this perspective. This paper demonstrates that the compatibility of infectious disease with the traditional security paradigm makes it a more conducive analytical object than NCDs. This argument is developed around illustrating three dimensions of compatibility: the potential for infectious diseases to sociopolitically transform societies; their derivation from organisms targeted for containment/eradication; and the perception that they are an immediate, as opposed to diffuse future threat.