Statistics and the Language of Global Health: Institutions and Experts in China, Taiwan, and the World, 1917-1960

Yi-Tang Lin's study explores how statistics became the language of global health, focusing on efforts by public health schools, philanthropic foundations, and international organizations to turn numbers into an international language. It examines the reception, adaptation, and appropriation of international health statistics in China and Taiwan between 1917 and 1960, highlighting the dynamic interplay between numbers, experts, and policy-making in international health organizations and administrations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 03 November 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Yi-Tang Lin delves into the historical transformation of statistics into the universal language of global health for local and international health organizations. Through a comprehensive examination of archival materials spanning three continents, this study explores the endeavors of public health schools, philanthropic foundations, and international organizations to convert numerical data into a global vernacular for public health. Lin showcases how these initiatives forged an international network of public health experts, who, irrespective of diverse socioeconomic and political backgrounds, employed distinct strategies in establishing global standards and translating local realities into numerical representations. With a particular focus on China and Taiwan between 1917 and 1960, Lin examines the reception, adaptation, and appropriation of international health statistics. She unravels the intricate interplay between numbers, experts, and policy-making within international health organizations and administrations in China and Taiwan. Additionally, this title is available as Open Access, expanding its accessibility to a broader audience.

Weight: 564g
Dimension: 159 x 235 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108845922