Mountainous
barriers to health of our own making have appeared lately. The most
formidable is a cluster of human-induced changes to global ecosystems and
the global commons – the atmosphere, the oceans, wilderness regions, stocks
of biodiversity – that threaten all life and health on earth, not just the
life and health of humans.
Another is perhaps an inherent flaw in the human character, that leads
many individuals and national leaders to believe that disputes can be
settled by violent means. Now we have so many terrible weapons that violence
can and does cause immense suffering, innumerable deaths (80% or more of
these deaths as well as a similar proportion of permanent maiming and
disability are among non-combatants) and appalling damage to ecosystems, the
environment, and the fabric of society. Sadly, this is rarely recognized as
a public health problem. The very first essential ingredient, awareness of
the problem, is lacking. Both these massive public health problems, in my
view, are linked to the insatiable human craving for petroleum fuels, an
addiction far more pervasive and dangerous than addiction to tobacco. So far
in our only partially sentient and insightful civilization, this isn’t even
recognized as a public health problem.
A public health problem that has been recognized is a worldwide pandemic
of tobacco addiction and its many adverse effects on health and long life.
Another is the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS. These are both associated with
modern urban life and social behaviour, including the marketing practices of
transnational corporations. Surmounting these barriers to health will
require social, cultural, and behavioural changes and political action.
