Infectious and chronic diseases are not just a national concern, but problems that affect the whole globe, according to Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Koplan spoke about such illnesses and their relation to globalization last night at Harvard Medical School in the first of a series of caucuses about globalization.

Koplan compared the public health systems of the United States and China, contrasting the disease and lifestyle issues prevalent in both nations.

“National borders are practically meaningless,” Koplan said.

Globalization is neither bad nor good, Koplan said. He said that because globalization sets a common agenda for the public health workers of the world, more opportunities are available to developing countries that previously trailed behind most other nations.

Globalization has always been an active issue in the United States, Koplan said.

He briefly described the strictness of public health officials in the 19th century, referring to the practice of screening immigrants on the boats arriving on U.S. shores. Although the screeners’ techniques were not especially accurate, Koplan said the practice showed the nation’s long-time recognition of the importance of disease control.

“It’s a two-way street,” Koplan said. “Many diseases we see as foreign can become as American as apple pie.”

When he asked how many people had been outside the country in the past 12 months, nearly all of the approximately 120 people in attendance raised their hands.

Koplan said through the centuries, most Americans have viewed disease as an import brought into the country by visitors or immigrants.

While this belief is not entirely unfounded, Koplan said the real threat is the speed at which diseases can be spread. The world population is increasing, Koplan said, but the time it takes to circumnavigate the globe is decreasing, causing a constant mixture of people and infectious diseases.

Koplan also talked about chronic diseases, tobacco and obesity.

“As countries become more industrial, the people become more affluent,” Koplan said.

Affluence brings new health threats, especially obesity, Koplan said. Being a developed country doesn’t guarantee that citizens will follow a healthy lifestyle, and many affluent countries have high rates of cardiovascular disease, he said.

He referred to both the United States and China as having problems with obesity.

While obesity has been a growing trend, smoking is generally decreasing. He said developing countries usually have high percentages of smokers.

Iris Boutros, a graduate student in the Harvard School of Public Health, was skeptical about how much Koplan knew about China’s public health system.

“I found it very peculiar that as a director of his organization, he focused on China while excluding other countries,” Boutros said.

A few attendees also said they were disappointed Koplan skirted the real issues of globalization.

“He focused on global disease, but he did not address how economic integration in the world has affected health, particularly in poorer populations,” said School of Public Health graduate student Eliot DeSilva.

“When you talk about globalization, it’s not about people getting on planes, it’s about international trade agreements,” Boutros agreed.

Koplan defended CDC as only a national program. Although his organization has dabbled in foreign affairs, such as the eradication of smallpox, he said it is still dependent on government funds to do more international work.

“It’s hard for me to see how an individual national organization can deal with global diseases,” said Melitta Jakab, a graduate student who attended the caucus.

The speech was the first installment of the annual Policy Roundtable Series at Harvard Medical School. This year’s series is called “Managing Globalization to Improve Health” and will include several panelists from many fields, such as specialists in business, health and education.