The state’s role in promoting population health: Public health concerns in Canada, USA, UK, and Swede

1. Introduction Public health is ultimately a question of what kind of society we wish to live in. There is a close connection between democracy, participation, equality and social security on the one hand and good public health on the other [1, p. 24]. ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: x22134. E-mail address: (D. Raphael). Promoting and maintaining the public’s health is an ongoing preoccupation of national, regional and municipal governments around the globe. Promoting health comprises three distinct, though potentially related sets of activities: (a) traditional public health activities of environmental protection, infection control, and modifying risk behaviours; (b) advocating for and contributing to developing health supporting public policy; and (c) delivering health care services [2]. The first two sets of activities – our concern in this article – are primarily concerned with promoting the health /$ – see front matter © 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved