The Galápagos Islands are often viewed through the lens of biodiversity and conservation. Far less attention has been given to the health and wellbeing of the people who inhabit this globally significant archipelago. This book addresses that gap by examining how environmental conditions, social change, public health, and sustainable development intersect in one of the world's most distinctive island systems. Through case studies spanning maternal and child health, nutrition transitions, water quality and water insecurity, infectious diseases, healthcare delivery, tourism impacts, mental wellbeing, and conservation behavior, the contributors demonstrate how human and environmental health are deeply interconnected. The chapters reveal the opportunities and vulnerabilities associated with living in an ecologically fragile and geographically isolated environment, while highlighting broader lessons for island communities worldwide. Bringing together expertise from public health, environmental science, medicine, social sciences, and sustainability studies, the book provides a timely contribution to understanding the human dimensions of sustainability in protected island ecosystems. This volume is an essential resource for researchers, students, policymakers, and practitioners interested in island sustainability, environmental health, conservation, and social-ecological systems.

Jaime Eduardo Ocampo Trujillo is a physician who graduated from the Universidad Central del Ecuador and holds an MBA from Loyola University New Orleans, USA. He completed doctoral studies in Organization, Management, and Leadership at Capella University. Over more than three decades, he has built a distinguished career in healthcare management, medical services administration, and institutional leadership. He is co-founder of SIME Centros Médicos, a leading ambulatory healthcare network in Ecuador, where he developed a patient-centered care model. Dr. Ocampo has combined professional practice with a long academic career at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), where he has taught medicine, public health, healthcare management, and business administration, and served as Dean of the School of Public Health. His work has focused on public health, telemedicine, healthcare access, and health system sustainability. He has led health initiatives, particularly in the Galápagos Islands, promoting telemedicine, research, education, and access to healthcare.

Ivonne Raquel Headley, MPH, RDN, IBCLC, is a behavioral nutrition scientist and lactation researcher whose work focuses on maternal and child nutrition, breastfeeding, and cardiometabolic health. Drawing on public health experience in Ecuador, she studies the social, cultural, and behavioral determinants of infant and young child feeding in the Galápagos Islands, including breastfeeding practices, dietary patterns, and the dual burden of malnutrition. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her research applies behavioral theory, qualitative methods, intervention development, and psychometric approaches to nutrition and health behavior. As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, she brings expertise in nutrition research, global health, and clinical practice.

María Belén Ocampo, MPH, RDN, is a nutrition professional, public health specialist, and university educator. She holds a degree in Human Nutrition from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work integrates nutrition science, public health, education, and community engagement to address nutrition-related challenges across the life course. She has contributed to initiatives addressing chronic child malnutrition, including the development of food-based dietary guidelines for the first 1,000 days, technical reports, and community nutrition programs serving vulnerable populations. Her interests center on evidence-based, culturally responsive approaches to nutrition and health promotion.

Carlos Ruiz Lara, MD, MHA, is a physician and healthcare management professional based in Quito, Ecuador. He graduated from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito School of Medicine and is completing a Master's in Healthcare Administration at the USFQ School of Public Health. He works as a medical analyst and auditor at SIME Centros Médicos, where his responsibilities include clinical auditing, healthcare data governance, institutional strategy, and service design. His research examines patient retention, healthcare utilization, and the economic burden of chronic disease using routinely collected clinical and operational data. He has also coordinated community medical brigades in mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, supporting their clinical, logistical, and data-management activities.