ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to highlight important critiques of current global health practice, by employing and advancing the theoretical perspective of critical medical anthropology. It presents some individual cases of disruption to public health policy or programming. The book discusses the key concerns of global public health, which relates to specific diseases, technologies, and policy development strategies. It explores the acceptance of the new HIV prevention technology - voluntary medical male circumcision - in Swaziland and Lesotho. The book examines the ethics of clinical trials related to another new HIV prevention technology pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Malawi and Nigeria. It presents the interpretations of contemporary public health efforts that emphasize the agency of ordinary people, and their ability to disrupt the everyday operations of power and authority.
