The first broad survey of these two fields, this book deleniates a framework for integrating advances in human genetics into public health practice.

The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.

This extensive, cutting-edge compilation of essays on key public health topics is a must-read for professionals, students, and researchers, with topics focusing on the effects of climate change on health, global issues including treatment and prevention of diseases, health care policy issues, health care needs of special populations, gender-based violence, and current issues in ethics and human rights. The three volumes of Public Health in the 21st Century are comprised of timely essays on a wide variety of public health issues that affect the world today—and those that may do so tomorrow. The essays gathered here are the work of a team of top researchers that includes behavioral scientists, medical officials, environmental scientists, administrators, educators, and health-education experts. Volume one covers history, developments, and current issues in public health. Volume two is about disease treatment and prevention, and volume three discusses health disparities and policies that affect public health. The last volume also looks at cutting-edge research to show what the future may hold, discussing how we will deal with, for example, emerging threats to public health stemming from global warming, the mismanagement of natural resources, multidrug-resistant diseases, and the explosion of chronic disease. Each chapter presents an up-to-date, scholarly review of a specific issue and discusses the challenges that nations, communities, and individuals must address to create a healthier world.

Our public health system is primarily concerned with the promotion of health and the prevention of disease. But while everyone may agree with these goals in principle, in practice public health is a highly contentious policy arena. that is inevitably entangled with sensitive issues ranging from occupational safety and environmental hazards to health education, immunization, and treatment of addiction and sexually transmitted disease. Today however, concern for protecting the population against bio-terrorism and new epidemics such as SARS is tipping the balance back toward increased support for public health. This book focuses on the politics, policies, and methodologies of public health and the twenty-first century challenges to the public health system of the United States. It explores the system's relatively weak position in the American political culture, medical establishment, and legal system; scientific and privacy issues in public health; and the challenges posed by ecological risk and the looming threat of bio-terrorist attack. Each chapter includes study questions. The volume also includes a chronology of major laws and events in public health policy along with an extensive bibliography.

When genomics and public health are integrated into society, it will create as many responsibilities as rights for citizens, researchers, and decision makers. Indeed, the expression of genetic risk factors in both common and infectious diseases is of great interest to public health. Policy development in this area then needs to tackle crucial themes such as: research and its application to public health and genomic medicine, the authority of the state, the right to privacy, and the roles and responsibilities of citizens and the State. Considering the current fears of a world-wide pandemic, this book is a timely and insightful exploration of both research possibilities and the role of the state. It will help to understand the limits of possible state access to biobanks and data. It examines the issue of the possible use of newborn screening programmes by public health authorities. It also attempts to understand the protection of individual privacy and the public interest in the promotion of health and the prevention of disease. Moreover, do citizens have a say? Will public attitudes be different towards research in public health genomics compared to genetic testing?

Genomics is the study of the entire human genome. Genomics explores not only the actions of single genes, but also the interactions of multiple genes with each other and with the environment. As a result, genomics has great potential for improving the health of the public. However, realizing the benefits of genomics requires a systematic evaluation of its potential contributions and an understanding of the information necessary to facilitate the translation of research findings into public health strategies. In October 2004, the Institute of Medicine convened a workshop to discuss major scientific and policy issues related to genomics and public health, examine major supports for and challenges to the translation of genetic research into population health benefits, and suggest approaches for the integration of genomic information into strategies for promoting health and preventing disease. Implications of Genomics for Public Health summarizes the discussions and presentations from this workshop.

Bioterrorism, drug-resistant disease, transmission of disease by global travel . . . there's no shortage of challenges facing America's public health officials. Men and women preparing to enter the field require state-of-the-art training to meet these increasing threats to the public health. But are the programs they rely on provide the high caliber professional training they require? Who Will Keep the Public Healthy? provides an overview of the past, present, and future of public health education, assessing its readiness to provide the training and education needed to prepare men and women to face 21st century challenges. Advocating an ecological approach to public health, the Institute of Medicine examines the role of public health schools and degree-granting programs, medical schools, nursing schools, and government agencies, as well as other institutions that foster public health education and leadership. Specific recommendations address the content of public health education, qualifications for faculty, availability of supervised practice, opportunities for cross-disciplinary research and education, cooperation with government agencies, and government funding for education. Eight areas of critical importance to public health education in the 21st century are examined in depth: informatics, genomics, communication, cultural competence, community-based participatory research, global health, policy and law, and public health ethics. The book also includes a discussion of the policy implications of its ecological framework.

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The rapid advancement of genetic science, fuelled by the Human Genome Project and other related initiatives, promises a new kind of public health practice based on the pre-detection of disease according to calculations of genetic risk. This book by two well-known sociologists: * explores the implications of the new genetics for public health as a body of knowledge and a domain of practice * assesses the impact of new genetic information and technologies on conceptions of health, illness, embodiment, self and citizenship * critically examines the complex discourses surrounding human genetics and public health. The New Genetics and The Public's Health addresses the emerging social and political consequences of the new genetics and provides a stimulating critique of current research and practice in public health.

With a number of public health panics emerging in the past few years, most recently the panic over 'swine flu' in 2009, the publication of this two volume collection is extremely timely. These two volumes cover the complete range of issues relating to the ethics of public health. Topics include the relationship with bioethics, questions of governance, public health and human rights, surveillance and privacy, prevention and its limits, confinement and liberty, as well as detailed case studies of previous and continuing crises relating to HIV and AIDS, SARS, bioterrorism, climate change, avian flu and tobacco control. There are sections also on genetic health, public health and equity, and public health and the developing world. The two volumes include nearly 75 articles by leading thinkers, and are accompanied by Michael Freeman's detailed introduction and full bibliography.