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Definitions

Below is a directory of terms used in the debate about climate change and insect-borne disease. Most of the terms have been reproduced from the WHO, US Environment Protection Agency, the UN University Institute of Advanced Studies, the Center for International Forestry Research, and the Meridian Institute.

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H

Health system

The often complex set of people, institutions, resources and policies that exist to serve the health needs of a population. Health systems fulfil three main functions: health care delivery, fair treatment for all, and meeting non-health expectations of the population.

Host

A multicellular organism (such as a tree, dog, or human) colonised by either commensal or pathogenic microorganisms.

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Artemisia annua by Flickr/scamperdale

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