Nation-States and Population Health

Award Year: 2001	Investigator: Stephen Kunitz	Budget: $268,194	Categories: Government Agencies, Population Health
Abstract: This project will explore how the standard of living debate and the consequences of modernization on traditional communities affect our understanding of the determinants of mortality. Improvements in the health of populations over the past few centuries have frequently been attributed to the rising standard of living, even though mortality in Europe began to decline before socioeconomic status had risen appreciably. Dr. Kunitz will examine the role of local and national governments in the decline of mortality and the relationship between national sovereignty and international governance. Other areas of study may include: environmental change, quarantine, drug pricing and production, use of sweated labor, emergence of infectious diseases, effects of free trade agreements, and the emergence of supra-national organizations. Dr. Kunitz' work should contribute to a greater understanding of the role government plays in reducing mortality and equalizing the life chances of its citizens.