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Cited by 118Medicine, History, and PhilosophyPublic Health and Environmental IssuesHealth, psychology, and well-being

Planetary Health: From the Wellspring of Holistic Medicine to Personal and Public Health Imperative

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Prescott, Susan L., Logan, Alan C.·2019·EXPLORE
DOI 10.1016/j.explore.2018.09.002
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Abstract

The term planetary health - denoting the interconnections between the health of person and place at all scales - emerged from the environmental and holistic health movements of the 1970-80s; in 1980, Friends of the Earth expanded the World Health Organization definition of health, stating: "health is a state of complete physical, mental, social and ecological well-being and not merely the absence of disease - personal health involves planetary health". By the 1990s, the concept of planetary health was part of the fabric of integrative medicine; more recently, after the 2015 Lancet Commission on Planetary Health report, the concept has penetrated mainstream academic and medical discourse. Here, we explore this history and describe its relevance to contemporary healthcare; integrative medicine is uniquely positioned to educate and advocate on behalf of patients and communities (current and future generations), helping to safeguard health of person, place and planet. We use the emerging microbiome science as a way to illustrate the interconnectivity and health implications of ecosystems (including social/political/economic systems) at all scales. As highlighted in the Canmore Declaration, mainstream planetary health discourse will be strengthened by inter-professional healthcare perspectives, and a more sophisticated understanding of the ways in which social dominance orientation and medical authoritarianism compromise the World Health Organization's broad vision of global health. Planetary health isn't a "new discipline"; it is merely an extension of a concept that was understood by our ancestors, and remains the vocation of all healthcare providers. Discourse on the topic requires cultural competency, critical consciousness and a greater appreciation of marginalized voices.

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  • In combination with high levels of antibiotics in many food sources, this will likely have wide-spread consequences for individual host health and planetary health.

    “In combination with the high levels of antibiotics in many food sources, this will likely have wide-spread consequences not only for individual host health but also from a broader planetary health perspective (Prescott and Logan, 2019).”

    From The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis (2019) · cites this paper as Prescott and Logan, 2019

    In “Microbiome as Measure and Metaphor” (page not specified), the paper links inappropriate antibiotic use to microbial dysbiosis and connects ecological changes with human health. It does not say that many food sources contain high levels of antibiotics or assess the combined consequences of that exposure for individual and planetary health. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Prescott, S. L., & Logan, A. C.
Affiliations
  • The University of Western Australia (AU)
  • Worldwide Universities Network (GB)
Corresponding author
Logan, Alan C.
ORCID
Venue
EXPLORE
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-03
Volume
15
Issue
2
Pages
98-106
ISSN
1550-8307 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.explore.2018.09.002
OpenAlex
W2891356146
Cited by
118
References
11
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 1
FWCI
6.88
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • EXPLORE (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Medicine, History, and Philosophy
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Public Health and Environmental Issues
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, psychology, and well-being
Keywords
planetary health, holistic health, integrative medicine, WHO definition of health, microbiome, social dominance orientation, cultural competence, critical consciousness, marginalized voices, environmental health
MeSH terms
Holistic Health, Humans, Public Health, Global Health, Ecosystem, Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical, History, 20th Century, Integrative Medicine, Microbiota

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