CHALLENGES TO PUBLIC-HEALTH SYSTEMS

As we move to the next century we face the cruel paradox that despite growing prosperity and spectacular technological advances, the task of ensuring health and well-being for the citizens of the world is becoming even more difficult and expensive and complicated than ever before. To be sure, we have conquered some old 'enemies' to public health, but new challenges-some even more formidable and imponderable than earlier ones-have cropped up. These will demand even greater national vigilance and increased international co-operation for their solution.