This fascinating collection shines a social epidemiological spotlight on the key public health issues affecting sub-Saharan Africa today.

Beginning with the legacy of colonial rule, this book outlines the complex interplay between population health and a range of social, economic, and cultural factors. It shows how social epidemiological methods can offer a deeper understanding of population health and features chapters on a range of infectious diseases that continue to have a devastating impact on the region, including Sickle Cell Disease, HIV/AIDS, Leprosy, and Ebola. The final section of this book includes a series of case studies in which social epidemiological methods have been used to explore specific public health issues.

Providing a timely overview of the relationship between social systems and human biology in the region, this important book will interest students and researchers across Public Health, Medicine, and African Studies.

John Fulton is Emeritus Professor of Social Inclusion at the University of Sunderland, which reflects his interest in social inequalities and their reproduction in education and health. He has been involved in a number of social epidemiology studies in Sub‑Saharan Africa.

Philip Emeka Anyanwu is a reader in Public Health at Warwick Medical School (WMS), University of Warwick. He is an epidemiologist with research and teaching interests in infectious disease epidemiology, social epidemiology, global health, and digital health.

Catherine Hayes is Professor of Health Professions Pedagogy and Scholarship at the University of Sunderland, UK. She is Programme Leader for the Professional Doctorate at Sunderland Campus and works predominantly with doctoral candidates undertaking PhDs, DBA, EdD, and DProf as well as those seeking to claim accreditation for doctorates by Existing Published Works and Higher Doctorates within postgraduate study.

Jonathan Ling is a former professor of Public Health at the University of Sunderland. He has a background in psychology and was the associate director for FUSE – The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health.