Detection and control of harmful environments is a classical public health strategy. This strategy can be applied to the social as well as to the biological and physical environments. This article seeks to highlight some of the relationships between the health of individuals and the social environments in which they exist. It is indicated that in many instances, it may be desirable to change the public health paradigm from the bio-individual to the social level because some of the most powerful forces that affect change in disease patterns and in the health of populations can oJ~en operate at this level Although the discussions in this article are mainly rooted in the Indian social and cultural context, the conclusions drawn here should [...]
