We typically define and talk about wars using the language of politics, but what happens when you bring in a doctor s perspective on conflict? Can war be diagnosed like an illness? Is the concept of "peacebuilding" simply the extension of healthcare and therapy beyond the individual, to encompass communities and nations? The contributors to Peace through Health: How Health Professionals Can Work for a Less Violent World engage with these ground-breaking ideas and describe tools that can further peace once war is understood as a public health problem.

The idea of working for peace through the health sector has sparked many innovative programs, described here by over 30 experts familiar with the theory and practice of Peace through Health. They cover topics such as prevention and therapy, program evaluations, medical ethics, activism, medical journals, human rights, and the uses of epidemiology. Those considering careers in medicine and other health and humanitarian disciplines as well as those concerned about the growing presence of militarized violence in the world will value the book s many insights.