Eco-social perspective: Countries, politics, policies, and health

When we think of health from an eco-social perspective, we think about the influence of countries on the health of populations. When we think about countries, we also think of politics. Politics is inseparable from our health. The health of populations depends on the social and economic structures around us. Politics and policies shape these social and economic structures. Political decisions determine resource allocations, and these resources in turn determine whether we are investing in a healthier world or not. This chapter discusses how political decisions can shape the determinants of health at other levels down the multilevel causal chain. It provides examples of political decisions that resulted in healthier populations, and the converse. The chapter then discusses how organized public health efforts can engage political decision-making and encourage political action toward healthy populations. It describes the role corporations play in shaping the health of populations.