Public Health & Society faculty are advancing equity, global health, and community well‑being.
At Public Health & Society, our faculty collaborate across disciplines, teach innovative courses, and publish new research pushing forward new insights for population health improvement. Here are five examples of new research published by our faculty in the past academic year. How cool is it that our undergraduate students get to learn these talented researchers!
Building Mental Health Systems for Children in Conflict Zones
Conflict touches the lives of 473 million children, yet mental health receives under 1% of global aid. Emerging models from Ukraine, India, and Sierra Leone show how long‑term, community‑grounded systems can support recovery—but massive funding gaps still leave most children without care.
Colonial Water Rules, Modern Water Inequity
Durban’s water infrastructure was built in the 1800s to privilege white residents, with roughly 18 public wells serving 20,000 people and strict policing of how African and South Asian workers could access water. Those early systems excluded whole communities and punished anyone who failed to follow British norms. Today, many residents still rely on tanks, wells, and informal connections—evidence of a water system designed for inequity that continues to shape access.
Full article: Access to water has a long racial history in Durban: I followed the story in the city’s archives
Policy Rollbacks Threaten Population Health
Sweeping federal policy rollbacks—from weakening air‑quality rules to cutting nutrition assistance for 41 million SNAP participants—are reshaping the social conditions that determine health. Reduced environmental protections, housing supports, and immigrant safeguards disproportionately harm low‑income communities and communities of color. These shifts risk reversing decades of progress by undermining the systems that keep populations healthy before they reach clinical care.
Full article: The Health Implications of US Federal Changes to Nonhealth Structures and Policies
A Global Toolkit to Break the Silence Around Gender‑Based Violence
Gender‑based violence affects an estimated 25% of women, 5% of men, and 50% of LGBTQI+ people migrating through Central America, yet many survivors remain silent due to stigma, fear, and trauma. By equipping frontline providers with trauma‑informed strategies, this new toolkit helps connect survivors to care they might otherwise never receive.
Full article: Toolkit aims to aid disclosure of gender-based violence
No Clear Link Between Nutrition Assistance Programs and Childhood Obesity
“We found that participating in a food assistance program does not have any direct relationship to whether a person is obese or not,” and policy improvements (like stronger nutrition standards) may help support healthier growth.
Full article: Food assistance programs do not promote obesity in children
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