Law enforcement and public health: A framework for analysis of LEPH in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)

ABSTRACT

Approaches for protecting public safety and enhancing community wellbeing at the intersection of law enforcement and public health (LEPH) are increasingly being examined with a view to developing a theoretical framework for analysing their multiple intersections (van Dijk et al., The Lancet, 393(10168)287-294, 2019). Yet, crime, health and social 'problems' occur, manifest, resolve or regress in different ways in different contexts. We outline a framework identifying a number of broad variables for consideration to identify, assess and explore LEPH solutions to problems of public health and safety in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Before proposing the development of this framework to develop the various dimensions at the intersection of the LEPH in further detail, this chapter looks at three case studies focused on the topics of HIV-AIDS, abortion and COVID-19. While the focus of this chapter is on examples in the Global South, the framework also has utility in the Global North. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.