The Anthropology of Human and Planetary Health

This text introduces undergraduate and graduate students in health or environment-related classes to the mounting crisis of syndemics through the lens of planetary health. The concept of syndemics, developed by the author and now in wide use across multiple health-related disciplines, focuses attention on the adverse synergistic interaction of two or more diseases or other health conditions promoted or facilitated by social and/or environmental conditions. The planetary health framework is an emerging holistic medical rethinking of our understanding of health. It seeks to identify the safe environmental limits within which humanity and other species can flourish on our increasingly imperiled planet. This book offers useful conceptual tools and frameworks for developing a comprehensive understanding of approaches needed to address the health risks of our changing world. The unique coverage of this book is its careful examination of ecosyndemics around the world in light of the growing recognition that on a heavily disrupted planet, a narrow focus on human health is inadequate. Under these circumstances, a comprehensive planetary health framework is needed. This approach seriously considers the interconnected nature of human health, animal and plant health, and the health of the world’s ecosystems. Highly descriptive, with numerous cases of the planetary health crisis, the textbook is written in a student-friendly and accessible way and is an important resource for coursework across environment and health-related subjects.