Sociology of Health

At the 1978 international conference on primary health care, the Alma Ata Declaration made 'health for all' a universal goal. However, the health goals of the vulnerable and marginalized groups have been largely unmet in India. Despite the launch of Millennium Development Goals at the global level and several health reforms at the national level, the health outcomes are far from being satisfactory. The out-of-pocket expenditure on medical care is, perhaps, the biggest cause of pauperization for India's population. This book presents the ground realities of health, illness, and disease in India. It extensively uses the conflict, functional, interactionist, and post-structuralist perspectives to explore the nuances and subtleties surrounding health care. The book covers issues such as: the development of sociology of health * social medicine and community health * social epidemiology * types and agents of disease * medicalization and demedicalization * medical pluralism * determinants and indicators of health * occupational health * nutrition, food, and water * sanitation and environment * health policies and programs * inequality and inequity. The book will be useful for students of sociology, social work, community medicine, public health, anthropology, medical geography, and nursing. It will also benefit health practitioners, activists and, above all, policy makers and health managers.