The Return of Liberalism

1. The Return of Liberalism
Mohammad Aslam Shaiekh
MPH-3rd Batch
School of Health and Allied Sciences (SHAS)
Pokhara University (P.U)
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2. Introduction
• Liberalism is a political view based on liberty and
equality which supports civil rights, democracy,
gender equality and freedom of speech, press,
religion and markets.
• It emerges as political current and intellectual
tradition at early 17th century.
• Yet not clear and compact doctrine , it
accidentally translated political rights to health
right though its implication for public health is
still not clear.
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3. Historical context
In 1890,John Simon was first to described effect of political
drawback affecting the public health concern
In revolutionary France there was proposal in legislation for
prevention of disease.
In early 19th century Malthus described disease among natural
checks that kept population in control.
Edwin Chadwik in late 1830s developed sanitary idea and
justified public investment in comprehensive system of water
and sewerage management.
(Sources oxford textbook of public health )
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4. In Austria and Scotland public health researchers
linked poverty with typhus.
In 1880s US,established board and hospitals for
controlling epidemics and to advance knowledge
on public health issue.
In different towns and cities different boards to
combat epidemics and enviromental issue was
established gradually.
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5. The return of liberalism,1970 to the
present day:
• With end of second world war, conquest of
fascism and subsequent decline of
communism ,liberalism re-emerged.
• Liberalism movement had established health
as a right of people and this was also
symbolized in mission statement of WHO that
health and welfare were birth right of all so, it
was obligation of states to deliver that right to
their populations.
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6. • With epidemiological transition from
infectious disease to chronic non-
communicable disease, a new set of personal
disciplines emerged to control lifestyles
diseases and prevent accidents, as like not
smoking, avoiding fats, recreational drugs and
alcohol etc.
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7. • During post war period it was acknowledged
many health concerns like heart disease,
cancer and birth defects can be prevented
only by comprehensive changes in physical
and social environment .
• Thus it was realized that focus on discipling
lifestyles for risk prevention came at the cost
of attention to more serious political and
environmental issues.
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8. • But in face of liberty and freedom ,these
measures were considered unpleasant or
intrusion into personal liberty or on culture as
well as these policies was supposed to restrict
many human behavior and activities .
• There was rising dilemmas and doubt in common
people about public health approaches in name
of behavior modification and environmental
improvement whether it was restricting their
rights or it was safeguarding their health.
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9. • The result was an increasingly adversial
relationship between the people and the
public health institutions and create a state of
conflict.
• This create the necessity to redefine the role
of state in maters of human welfare and of
individuals in correct exercising of their
freedom .
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10. • For balance of this problem there should be
subsequent efforts to expand state
responsibility for health into matters of care
and cure.
• There should be good foundation with
political, educational and administrative
structure to address emerging and new public
health issues with clear preventive strategy
and curative and supportive health system.
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11. Thank you 
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