A Changing World: Global Health Meets Modern Travel

InnovationHealthcareA Changing World: Global Health Meets Modern TravelByBernadette Boden Albala,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I’m a public health researcher addressing health equity and disease.Follow AuthorJun 01, 2026, 06:00pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Person in an airport holding a drink and a suitcase with a plane in the background.CanvaAs we move from commencement season to summer, millions of Americans are expected to travel internationally. Lurking behind the sunglasses, flip-flops, and suitcases are several concerning infectious diseases, some related to the exact international travel expected in the next few months.It is estimated that more than five billion passengers fly internationally each year. By comparison, fewer than 310 million people flew annually in the early 1970s. You can be in another country in half a day. Our adoption of convenient air travel and intercontinental mobility has transformed all aspects of society, including commerce, culture, and tourism. It has also fundamentally changed how quickly infectious diseases can spread. Before the 1950s, outbreaks could be regionally contained, now infectious diseases can spread like wildfire, moving across continents before symptoms even appear. We Adopted, Now We Must AdaptSeveral examples are still fresh in the news cycle. In early April, public health officials confirmed several hantavirus cases, all linked to a South American cruise voyage, and renewed Ebola concerns in Central Africa have raised alarms. Add this to a resurgence in measles and the continued spread of dengue fever and avian influenza across multiple regions of the world. While these outbreaks may, individually, seem geographically distant. Collectively, they reflect how quickly health risks can move through an increasingly connected world.This reality is not a sign that globalizatio...