Without health, societies can be crippled. A crippled society does not produce, contributes to migration and, being vulnerable, can easily succumb to terrorists. Neither the rule of law, nor a legal system is sufficient to protect and promote population health adequately. Public health counteracts social inequality and reinforces country security. Public health can improve disaster response, and health diplomacy can improve trust. A stronger application in the Balkans would be beneficial. Health diplomacy is a political change agent that improves global health while repairing failures in classical diplomacy. Public health can curb vulnerability. The emergence of cross-border flows of disease, bio-terrorism, shifting geo-political environments and more complex linkages between health, trade, intellectual property, and human rights, presents a complex matrix of technical and relational challenges. Gaps need to be reduced in co-ordination procedures between local, national, and regional response operations, early warning and response systems need to be strengthened and better recognized as an asset against terrorism.