Looking Forward to the Past? The Politics of Public Health

1991 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Baggott

ABSTRACTThis article explores the role of political agents, institutions, circumstances, and ideas in the development of public health policies in Britain. The first part attempts to define public health. The second section of the article looks at the experience of the Victorian public health movement. The final part considers the re-emergence of the public health perspective. The underlying theme of the article is that an awareness of the political dimension, both contemporary and historical, improves our understanding of developments in the field of public health. The main conclusions reached are: first, that given the formidable political obstacles which exist, public health reform will only succeed if the reformers themselves operate with full awareness of the political dimension; second, that the modern public health debate is unlikely to be resolved in the short term.

Author(s):  
Michael Westerlund ◽  
Karolina Krysinska

An overview of research on suicide and the internet, as well as the practical applications of online interventions in suicide prevention efforts is given. The text presents how much material about suicide is available online and what are the contents, with a special focus on pro-suicide and harmful online material and communication, and how people at risk of suicide use the internet. The topic of advantages and dangers of suicide-related material available on social media platforms will be covered. The range and effectiveness of online and web-based crisis interventions are discussed, along with support available online for people bereaved by suicide. The text also presents existing efforts on regulation and legislation in relation to suicide-related websites and content.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 219-252
Author(s):  
A. Zhebit

The article is focused on the problem of human rights (HRs), limited or derogated from, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While addressing some HRs limitations, derogations and even abuses, and their consequent problems, the aim is to try to analyze policy, social, moral and personal dilemmas of HRs restrictions as well as motivations behind the types of public and social behavior, in the course of the pandemic, in response to the public measures of sanitation, social distancing and confinement, travel restrictions and social assistance, recommended by the WHO and selectively followed by governments. Learning from some old experience and deriving new lessons from the pandemic, as well as from public and social actions and reactions, the purpose of the present article is to assess whether or not public health policies in this context, implemented nationally or internationally, can promote change in the HRs paradigm in the face of the existing dilemmas and dichotomies in HRs, aggravated by the pandemic. The conclusion is that the extant HRs paradigm should be redefined to address better the political, social, economic, environmental and, especially, existential exigencies of “rainy times”, thus leading to the creation of a new universal HRs code or to harmonizing the existing one.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliezer Magno Araújo

Background: this theoretical essay was produced from the reflections and seminars of the PhD Programme in Governance, Knowledge and Innovation, of the Faculty of Economics - University of Coimbra and in the author's personal experience as a public health specialist. The main objective is to deepen the discussion on the concept of social costs in Kapp (Frigato, 2006), and its relationship with public health, also reflecting on the role of the State in the implementation of Public Health Policies. Methods: we follow the guidelines of Meneghetti (2011), understanding that in the essay, the object is studied in its dialectical condition, not necessarily requiring empirical proof. It starts from the guiding questions for theoretical argumentation, seeking to understand the object through associations or analogies, without the formalism of traditional scientific technique. Results: we can see that the Kappian perspective on social costs, expands its reach to the political level, and the concept can serve as a basis for the analysis of public policies. In particular, on public health, this concept contributes to the reflection of the role of the State, in social protection and in its permanent relationship with the market. Conclusion: the Kappian perspective perceives the circularity and interdependence in the relationship between health and the costs of capitalism, favours new insights and a critical reading of the associated institutional political phenomena, power games and conflicts around the public-private relationship in health.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-133
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ferraz e Silva ◽  
Ronice Maria Pereira Franco de Sá ◽  
Luiz Renato Paranhos

TERRITORIO ◽  
2012 ◽  
pp. 139-146
Author(s):  
Francesca Frigau ◽  
Pietro Pusceddu

In the autumn of 2010, the municipality and Faculty of Architecture of Alghero took part in a "manifestation of interest" for social housing pilot projects held by the Region of Sardinia. The formulation of the proposal constituted an opportunity for research into the relationship between housing policies and urban planning policies and on the role of housing in the construction of the "public town or city". It contained many innovative features, the most important of which was the use of ethical property funds and the involvement of the private sector in the construction of public sector assets. Considerations included the political dimension of the project, that which makes it a tool to acquire knowledge of the local area, a summary of its complexities never subordinate to policies or the mere application of them. The project is a platform capable of generating synergies and economic and social dynamics. In short it is able to trigger urban life processes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliezer Magno Araújo

Beckground: this theoretical essay was produced from the reflections and seminars of the PhD Programme in Governance, Knowledge and Innovation, of the Faculty of Economics - University of Coimbra and in the author's personal experience as a public health specialist. The main objective is to deepen the discussion on the concept of social costs in Kapp (Frigato, 2006), and its relationship with public health, also reflecting on the role of the State in the implementation of Public Health Policies. Methods: we follow the guidelines of Meneghetti (2011), understanding that in the essay, the object is studied in its dialectical condition, not necessarily requiring empirical proof. It starts from the guiding questions for theoretical argumentation, seeking to understand the object through associations or analogies, without the formalism of traditional scientific technique. Results: we can see that the Kappian perspective on social costs, expands its reach to the political level, and the concept can serve as a basis for the analysis of public policies. In particular, on public health, this concept contributes to the reflection of the role of the State, in social protection and in its permanent relationship with the market. Conclusion: the Kappian perspective perceives the circularity and interdependence in the relationship between health and the costs of capitalism, favours new insights and a critical reading of the associated institutional political phenomena, power games and conflicts around the public-private relationship in health.


Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Khan ◽  
Tusha Sharma ◽  
Basu Dev Banerjee ◽  
Scotty Branch ◽  
Shea Harrelson

: Currently, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has transformed into a severe public health crisis and wreaking havoc worldwide. The ongoing pandemic has exposed the public healthcare system's weaknesses and highlighted the urgent need for investments in scientific programs and policies. A comprehensive program utilizing the science and technologydriven strategies combined with well-resourced healthcare organizations appears to be essential for current and future outbreak management.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Rinaldi ◽  
M P M Bekker

Abstract Background The political system is an important influencing factor for population health but is often neglected in the public health literature. This scoping review uses insights from political science to explore the possible public health consequences of the rise of populist radical right (PRR) parties in Europe, with welfare state policy as a proxy. The aim is to generate hypotheses about the relationship between the PRR, political systems and public health. Methods A literature search on PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar resulted in 110 original research articles addressing 1) the relationship between the political system and welfare state policy/population health outcomes or 2) the relationship between PRR parties and welfare state policy/population health outcomes in Europe. Results The influence of political parties on population health seems to be mediated by welfare state policies. Early symptoms point towards possible negative effects of the PRR on public health, by taking a welfare chauvinist position. Despite limited literature, there are preliminary indications that the effect of PRR parties on health and welfare policy depends on vote-seeking or office-seeking strategies and may be mediated by the political system in which they act. Compromises with coalition partners, electoral institutions and the type of healthcare system can either restrain or exacerbate the effects of the PRR policy agenda. EU laws and regulations can to some extent restrict the nativist policy agenda of PRR parties. Conclusions The relationship between the PRR and welfare state policy seems to be mediated by the political system, meaning that the public health consequences will differ by country. Considering the increased popularity of populist parties in Europe and the possibly harmful consequences for public health, there is a need for further research on the link between the PRR and public health.


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