abu zeyd balkhi, the iranian muslim scholar, theologian and philosopher, who lived in third and fourth hijri centuries, is the first scientist who studied the interplay between the mental hygiene or health and the body hygiene or health. he reported his findings and opinions in his book “masalih al-abdan va al-anfos”. balkhi has attributed the orders of creation and universe to the wisdom of go...

I recently met an anaesthetist called Robin Youngson who has had a most unusual career. He was brought up in various parts of the British Empire, as what he describes as an ‘army brat’. He went to an English boarding school where he was badly bullied, before going to university and becoming an engineer. He then worked in oil exploration, saving up money in order to study medicine. He emigrated ...

One of the great debates in criminology and psychiatry is whether criminals should be viewed as mental health problems or whether they should be viewed as “bad.” Philosophical considerations aside, the question often becomes a practical one of whether or not offenders are modifiable or “treatable” using methods developed in psychiatric institutions. Some serious offenders, of course, do appear ...

Contracting in public health — the subject of this month’s theme issue — is more than just managing the privatization of services previously provided by governments. In 2003, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution in recognition of the huge untapped potential of contracting in public health, as well as the risks and pitfalls. In this interview, David Evans argues that if poorly implemen...

BACKGROUND Little is known about the effects of social isolation in the elderly on their process of gaining health information and seeking health care. CASE PRESENTATION In March 2011, Fukushima, Japan experienced an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster, also known as Japan's triple disaster. In June 2016, an 80-year-old Japanese man, who lived alone after divorce at the age of 42, prese...

Protecting health against the effects of climate change will be next year’s theme for World Health Day (7 April 2008) and WHO’s 60th anniversary celebrations. Carlos Corvalan talks about WHO’s work with countries to help them tackle those effects and how climate change affects people’s health. Carlos Corvalan is an environmental epidemiologist with a Masters in Public Health from Sydney Univers...

Dr.Dilani is the founder and Director of the International Academy for Design and Health (IADH). He has been engaged worlwide in several universities in the fi eld of Design and Health developing “Psychosocially Supportive Design Programs”, both in Medical and Design Institutions. He holds a Ph.D. in Health Facility Design from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm and a Master of Archit...