International Security: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by Christopher S. Browning Page A

expansive understandings of human security are beset with problems. Where, for example, should the boundaries of human security be drawn, how should we prioritize between different dimensions and commitments, and who should make these decisions and on what grounds? A more general criticism, however, is that human security, however defined, is easily co-opted by states and reoriented to their particular national security concerns. This can be illustrated by highlighting howpoverty and underdevelopment impact on individuals and states in slightly different ways, and can therefore generate different policy options depending on which is prioritized.
    For individuals, the effects of poverty and underdevelopment have already been indicated. Poverty often translates into poor diets and health, lack of access to education and medicines, limited employment and social opportunities, and increased chances of being subject to violence, crime, and arbitrary treatment by the state. Moreover, these elements often feed off each other. For example, the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Africa is not just felt by those infected with the virus, but by their families who might lose the main income earner and who, given the lack of sufficient or accessible public health provision, are saddled with extra financial burdens. Vulnerability to disease can also highlight the structural violence inherent in problems of global poverty and underdevelopment. In 2010, for example, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that malaria, a preventable and curable disease, killed approximately 655,000 people, the majority African children. In contrast, armed with vaccinations and insurance policies Western travellers to the developing world are generally protected from such potentially deadly outcomes. Seen from the perspective of individual suffering a public policy approach to human security should therefore start by identifying and targeting those who are most vulnerable and whose needs are greatest.
    Seen through a state lens, however, problems of human security are often translated into broader threats of political, social, economic, and even military instability. Indeed, concerns about human security are often translated into concerns about the stability and security of existing political structures and ruling regimes, sometimes for good reason. Statistically speaking poorer countries are more susceptible to internal conflict. One reason is because poverty is rarely evenly spread across populations and often follows ethnic, social, or religious divides. Such disparities can easily breed resentments and competition between differentgroups for control of the state and its resources (see Chapter 7 ). Of course, when such conflicts turn violent they can further entrench poverty by diverting people and resources into unproductive fighting roles and destroying essential infrastructures.
    Aside from concerns about regime security and political stability, however, poverty can affect national security in other ways. Infectious diseases, for example, can wreak havoc on prospects for economic development by decimating workers’ productivity and creating additional healthcare burdens for limited state finances. For example, according to CIA figures, in 2009 nine African countries had adult population HIV/AIDS infection rates of over 10 per cent, including three countries (Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana) where the rate exceeded 20 per cent. HIV/AIDS is a particular scourge because it disproportionately affects younger adults who would normally comprise the more productive part of the workforce. As it progresses HIV/AIDS increasingly incapacitates sufferers and creates significant economic and social welfare burdens. However, the spread of HIV/AIDS has also raised questions for military security, especially because of its potential impact on military effectiveness. The reason is that infection rates amongst soldiers are typically higher than amongst the rest of the population,