This subject examines the nature of public health and develops a systemic understanding of various public health policy frameworks and issues. The subject provides the context and history for understanding public health approaches, explores the cultural and social dimensions of health and illness and the economic and political environment in which health policies and strategies are developed and implemented. The subject advocates a view of health that includes an implicit recognition of the physical, social and economic environment, affirms the importance of social justice and equity in health care, and emphasises the importance of inter-sectoral collaboration.