Unlock the complexities of global health security with Simon Rushton's insightful exploration of pandemics in 'Security and Public Health.' This thought-provoking book addresses critical questions about resource allocation and policy-making in times of health crises, emphasizing that the battle against infectious diseases must be a priority for modern governments. With 240 pages of compelling analysis, readers will discover the intertwined nature of political choices and public health outcomes over the past three decades. The book delves into key issues, including the rapid spread of pandemics, the global fight against HIV/AIDS, and the emerging threats posed by biological weapons. Rushton meticulously critiques the common responses to health security, highlighting the impacts on civil liberties, the focus on symptoms over causes, and the selective attention to diseases that demand international action. 'Security and Public Health' calls for a robust political discourse regarding the securitization of health, making it essential reading for policymakers, health professionals, and any individual interested in the future of public health in an increasingly perilous world. Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781509515899
Year: 2019
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (UK)
Pages: 240


Description:


For most Western governments, defending against the threat of infectious disease is now an accepted security priority. Deciding what resources and policies to put in place to protect populations from pandemics, however, involves difficult political choices. How can we get these decisions right? And what are we prepared to sacrifice to achieve better health security?


In this book, Simon Rushton explores the politics of pandemics in the contemporary world. Looking back over three decades of public health, he traces national and international efforts to tackle infectious disease, focusing in-depth on three core areas in which securitization has been particularly successful: rapidly spreading pandemic diseases, HIV/AIDS and man-made pathogenic threats, such as biological weapons. Three central problems raised by common responses to disease as a security threat are then examined: the impact upon individuals and civil liberties; the tendency to treat the symptoms and not the underlying causes of disease outbreaks; and the limited range of diseases deemed worthy of global attention and action. Arguing against a tendency to treat global health security as a technical challenge, the book stresses the need for a vibrant, and even confrontational, political engagement around the implications of securitizing public health.