Insidious trends and social/ environmental justice: Public health's challenge for responding to hazard events

摘要

Global climate change, proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, unsanitary conditions in developing nations, freshwater shortages in much of the world, food insecurity, and many other global threats remind us that the world's population of more than seven billion faces daunting challenges. On top of these recognizable threats are five insidious trends that place political and economic pressure on public health's ability to respond to hazard events. After describing the trends, I assert that the pressures they create disproportionately impact disadvantaged populations and illustrate this with an example of the senior population. I then suggest three positive steps that I believe public health should and will take to be effective despite the trends.