Public health

Definitions and Purposes

• Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health.
• It involves organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, communities, and individuals.
• Health encompasses physical, psychological, and social well-being.
• The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
• Public health aims to improve the health of populations and increase life expectancy.

Related Terms

• Public health is related to global health, which focuses on the health of populations worldwide.
• International health deals with health across regional or national boundaries.
• Public health is distinct from public healthcare, which refers to publicly funded health care.
• Preventive medicine is a field related to public health and focuses on disease prevention.
• Population health is a concept within public health that aims to improve the health of entire populations.

Characteristics and Components

• Public health is a multidisciplinary field that includes epidemiology, biostatistics, and social sciences.
• Other important sub-fields include environmental health, community health, and behavioral health.
• It also encompasses health economics, public policy, mental health, and health education.
• Occupational safety, disability, gender issues in health, and sexual and reproductive health are relevant areas.
• Modern public health practice requires multidisciplinary teams of professionals from various disciplines.

Public Health Interventions

• The purpose of public health interventions is to prevent and mitigate diseases, injuries, and other health conditions.
• The overall goal is to improve the health of populations and increase life expectancy.
• Common public health initiatives include promoting hand-washing, vaccination, and breastfeeding.
• Other interventions focus on improving air quality, suicide prevention, smoking cessation, and obesity education.
• Public health also involves increasing healthcare accessibility and distributing condoms to control sexually transmitted diseases.

Disparities and Challenges

• There is a significant disparity in access to healthcare and public health initiatives between developed and developing countries.
• Developing countries often lack trained healthcare workers, resources, and knowledge for basic medical care and disease prevention.
• Poor maternal and child health is a major concern in developing countries, exacerbated by malnutrition and poverty.
• Historically, public health initiatives have been implemented by different stakeholders, such as army generals, clergy, or rulers.
• Great Britain played a leading role in the development of public health initiatives in the 19th century.

Public health Data Sources