This reader is a vital contribution to students and practitioners’ appreciation of the social basis of health, illness and disease. It has a wide reach, appealing to students across the spectrum of health and social sciences, as well as serving as a resource for educators. — Kathleen Kahn, Professor and Senior Scientist, MRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand This reader, written by a team of sociologists with long-standing teaching and research experience in the social aspects of health and health care, is an essential accompaniment to all undergraduate and postgraduate health programmes in South Africa. — Helen Schneider, Professor, School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape The onset of the quadruple burden of disease in South Africa, the challenges faced by the medical establishment to curtail the rapid growth of multiple epidemics, the inadequate response by the state to various inequities in the health system, and the public debates associated with it, have all combined to draw attention to the sociological aspects of health and disease. Sociology as a resource of knowledge and a unique analytical and conceptual perspective can be used to understand, explain and positively influence the course of health and disease in South African society and our responses to it. As a health practitioner or scholar you must be equipped with the skills to critically evaluate research and debates in your profession, be able to adapt to changes and contribute to the development of knowledge and best practice. This reader will familiarise you with relevant content and assist you to develop the analytical capacity and conceptual skills you will need. Society, Health and Disease in South Africa is authored by experienced educators and researchers in the fields of sociology, social work, anthropology, healthcare policy and practice.