Anne-Emanuelle Birn ^1*

¹ University of Toronto

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ae.birn{at}utoronto.ca.

	Abstract

The evolution of international health has typically been assessed from the standpoint of central institutions (international health organizations, foundations, and development agencies) or of one-way diffusion and influence from developed to developing countries. To deepen understanding of how the international health agenda is shaped, I examined the little-known case of Uruguay and its pioneering role in advancing and institutionalizing child health as an international priority between 1890 and 1950. To explain Uruguay's emergence as a node of international health, I asked how and why Uruguay was so early, compared with other countries, in gauging its public health process, in borrowing and adapting methods developed overseas, in comparing results with other countries, and in broadcasting its own innovations and shortcomings.

Key Words: Child and Adolescent Health, Global Health, History