Laura Menatti is presenting a talk at the 11th International Philosophy of Medicine Roundtable (2024) - Bringing together philosophical work on medicine and health across disciplines and cultures from six continents.

Title: Rethinking Health through a Salutogenic Perspective: Challenges to Face the Current Health and Climate Crises

Abstract:  Medical research increasingly emphasizes addressing healthcare and ethical issues related to climate change. Frameworks such as the Onehealth approach align with this imperative, highlighting the crucial role of the environment. However, in philosophical and medical discussions surrounding the health-environment coupling, exploration into the notion of health and its epistemic foundations, requires further investigation. This paper addresses this gap by reframing the concept of health within the current health and climate crises through the lens of the salutogenic approach. Originating from Aaron Antonovsky, a medical sociologist, salutogenesis is a theory focused on promoting health measures rather than merely preventing risk factors. The term itself, derived from the Latin words “salus” (health) and “genesis” (production, generation), conveys the idea of being a ‘carrier of health.’ The salutogenic account and its related framework have evolved over the years, with ongoing development and refinement in medicine, public health and health promotion. This paper aims to achieve two key objectives: firstly, analyzing the concept of salutogenesis by placing it within the historical landscape of medicine and health promotion; secondly, applying this approach to contemporary challenges. To understand the intricate interplay between health and the environment, the paper indeed introduces the concept of salutogenic environments. The synergy between salutogenesis and salutogenic environments holds the potential to provide a new health framework that comprehensively addresses the current health and climate crises. This, in turn, offers implications for the development of contemporary public health strategies.

Find out more here:  https://cpemph.org/2024/05/03/philosophy-of-medicine-roundtable-9-10-may-2024/