The Struggle for Public Health: Seven People Who Saved the Lives of Millions and Transformed the Way We Live

The Struggle for Public Health chronicles the stories of public health innovators who overcame obstacles to improve the health of millions, including scientific discoveries, strong personalities, and new forms of social behavior. These changes met resistance from vested interests, false beliefs, and the difficulty of creating large-scale changes in public behavior. The book features the lives of seven advocates for public health progress, including Edwin Chadwick, John Snow, Harvey Wiley, Lillian Wald, W.E.B. Du Bois, Richard Doll, and D. A. Henderson, who developed innovations such as vaccines, sanitation, and cleaner water.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 12 March 2024
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

The nineteenth century was a time of great progress in public health, with improvements in sanitation, cleaner water, and safer food leading to a decline in deadly infectious diseases and an increase in longevity. This progress continued into the twentieth century, with further advances in nursing care, understanding of health disparities, reduced tobacco use, and a global network for vaccine distribution. However, these changes did not come without struggle, as public health advocates faced resistance from vested interests, false beliefs, and the difficulty of creating large-scale changes in public behavior.

In The Struggle for Public Health, Fred C. Pampel shares the stories of seven advocates for public health progress who helped save lives and change the way we live. These advocates include a London bureaucrat who devoted his life to cleaning up filthy streets and neighborhoods, an activist nurse who provided first-rate care and health guidance to newly arrived immigrants, and the organizational genius who overcame limited funding, bureaucratic inertia, and political infighting to deliver vaccines across the world.

The book features public health innovations developed by Edwin Chadwick, John Snow, Harvey Wiley, and Lillian Wald, who played key roles in shaping the field of public health. These innovations included the development of the first public health department, the establishment of clean water and sewage systems, the introduction of vaccines, and the development of public health campaigns to promote healthy behaviors.

The Struggle for Public Health is a valuable resource for anyone interested in public health history, policy, and practice. It provides a detailed account of the challenges and successes of public health advocates and highlights the importance of their work in improving the health and well-being of millions of people around the world.

Weight: 585g
Dimension: 233 x 160 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421447933