The New Public Health

In the twenty-first century public health is under considerable threat. Environmental deterioration, terrorism and war, growing economic inequalities, declining social capital, neo-liberal economic policies and rapid economic globalisation all pose threats to health. Public health is concerned with reducing these threats and finding healthy solutions to them. In the past public health was dominated by medical models of practice but is now increasingly multi-disciplinary in that it focuses on the social, economic and environmental basis of health. In the second edition of The New Public Health the comprehensive overview of contemporary publc health practice is maintained but the content is up dated to reflect the rapid changes that have affected public health in the early years of the new century. A new chapter on globalisation sets the new public health in global content. A chapter is dedicated to settings approach to health promotion including Healthy Cities. Other topics covered include: definitions and history; the political economy of public health; full spectrum of public health research methods; patterns of health; illness and mortality; the health of the environment and its impact on human health; practical public health strategies. It argues that new approaches to promoting health, equity and sustainability are urgently needed. The book is written for students, public health, primary health care workers, health and environmental planners and everyone interested in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

Fran Baum is Professor and Head of the Department of Public Health, Flinders University, and Director of the South Australian Community Health Research Unit.