The expanding importance of health as a global issue has focused attention on the value of applying the concept of "global public goods" from economics to international health. This concept considers as "goods" such things as services, technologies and information (for example, knowledge of an infectious disease outbreak or control of climate change) all or any of which may be used to global advantage. Since these are "public goods" there is often a lack of incentive to provide or feel responsible for them. The central challenge of the "global public goods for health" concept is to ensure collective action at international level. The main focus of this text is whether and how best "global public goods for health" can be used to advance the health of poor populations.