About this Research Topic

Background

Predominant health research agendas, usually in line with existing financial incentives for obtaining lucrative research results, tend to focus on therapeutic and pharmacological intervention, prioritizing innovative therapies based on molecular biology and biotechnology approaches. However, commercial interests do not necessarily agree with existing public health priorities. The prevalence of health and biomedical research agendas often neglect not only the less lucrative diseases but also the study of the social and environmental determinants of health and disease, even when addressing these aspects could significantly improve population health at much lower costs. Some examples of absent studies in the health research agendas are the analysis of non-medical factors influencing health outcomes (social determinants of health), the analysis of the relationship between people and their environment (environmental health), or the evaluation of the socio-environmental factors that influence the deterioration of bodies and territories (such as the One Health approach).

Non-reductionist epistemological approaches that consider the social and environmental factors associated with the emergence and spread of disease and the impact of technoscience on environmental and human health could contribute to being better prepared to prevent and treat more diverse pathologies and improve overall health outcomes. This Research Topic will explore why these approaches are often neglected and how they could help to significantly improve health outcomes at a low cost.

We encourage the submission of all Frontiers article types relevant to this article collection that will cover topics such as (but not limited to):

• public health priorities

• conflicts of interest (COIs) in biomedical and biotechnological research

• Science, Technology, and Society

• environmental health

• social determinants of health

• One Health

• non-reductionist epistemological approaches considering the social and environmental factors associated with the emergence and spread of disease

• reasons why these approaches are often neglected

• how these approaches could help to significantly improve health outcomes at a low cost

Keywords: public health priorities, conflicts of interest in biomedical and biotechnological research, science technology and society, environmental health, social determinants of health, one health

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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