Given ongoing worldwide calamities such as famine, natural disasters, and drug abuse, international attention has increasingly focused upon disease detection, prevention, containment, and treatment. Serving an unmet need in the marketplace, Health Capital and Sustainable SocioeconomicDevelopment highlights mounting evidence of the strong relationship between human capital and socioeconomic development and poses management strategies from international and interdisciplinary sources. With a fresh perspective, scholars and practitioners in the health and sustainable development fields address such issues as healthcare and education, funding for healthcare services, and the impact of legal and political policies on healthcare needs.An original contribution to the subject, this indispensable reference not only analyzes diverse worldwide health crises and their causes, but also provides insights into effective, pragmatic, and sustainable solutions. Broad Range of Topics Illuminated in a Readable and Pertinent Manner Encompassing theory and practice within three distinct sections, the text begins by examining social and cultural issues including HIV/AIDS and alcohol, with an emphasis on the role of collaborative networks in developing countries. The second part delves into economic considerations as they pertain to western healthcare and low-income countries. It spotlights healthcare in the United States, analyzes Iraq as a case study of the brain drain of health capital, and explores sustainable development as a tangible step toward famine elimination. The book concludes with a thorough analysis of legal and political ramifications, from the social and economic benefits of ending the war on drugs to a human rights approach to healthcare commercialization. Features authors from the Max Planck Institute, Columbia University, the London School of Economics, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Care Perú, and other prestigious institutions