ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a review of the methods and tools available for risk communication and priority setting, which are relevant not only to practitioners but to health planning more generally, and to many other areas of public health and policy formation. It explores a number of significant global issues pertinent to the study of risk communication. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified ten leading risk factors for preventable death and disease worldwide: maternal and child underweight; unsafe sex; high blood pressure; tobacco; alcohol; unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene; high cholesterol; indoor smoke from solid fuels; iron deficiency; and high body mass index (BMI) or overweight. The book discusses a variety of perspectives on risk communication, from the perspectives of health, culture, psychology, entertainment and media. It illuminates the tangle of science, politics and economics that often obscures health reporting of mental illness.
