What is Public Health?
Most people don't understand what public health is, much less how it impacts their daily lives. Take a minute or two now to learn!
Public health touches everyone.
We all rely on public health to identify health threats, enforce laws that protect our health, and provide services to prevent and control disease.
It touches everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, geographic location or socioeconomic status.
Public health is everyone’s business, together.
Community organizations, businesses, schools and others can make huge changes when they work together – such as stopping polio, reducing drunk driving, and providing early prenatal care.
And individually.
Each of us play a role with the choices we make daily, like being active, washing our hands, and using safety belts. Public health is something that costs or benefits us all.
Public Health's Role
Public health plays a very important role in protecting, promoting, and maintaining the health of entire communities. These communities may be as small as your neighborhood, or as large as the whole country.
Many of public health's duties are health issues we face in everyday life-like protecting the drinking water, or ensuring the safety of food at local restaurants. Public Health also has a role in areas like dental health, preventing injuries, preparing for emergencies and disasters, monitoring the leading causes of death, and preventing the spread of disease. Our role is different than that of other health professionals because public health centers on prevention, while the medical community usually focuses on care for those who are already sick.
Ten Essential Functions of Public Health
Key functions that state and local health departments are engaged in.
Impact of Public Health
Public health has been critical to the increase in life expectancy and worldwide decrease of infant and child mortality. The CDC reports that life expectancy is at an all time high, and the average life expectancy is now 30 years longer than it was at the beginning of the century.
Public health has made dramatic strides in improving community health. Many of the most important contributions ensure that our daily lives are safe. These include:
- car safety
- control of diseases
- family planning and contraception
- fluoridation of drinking water
- identifying tobacco as a health hazard
- improving the health of mothers and babies
- reducing deaths from heart disease and stroke
- safer and healthier foods
- safer workplaces
- vaccinations (shots)
Public Health Links and Resources
American Public Health Association
Ohio Public Health Association
National Environmental Health Association
Ohio Environmental Health Association
Association of Ohio Health Commissioners
National Association of County and City Health Officials
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ohio Department of Health
Franklin County Board of Health
Association of Schools of Public Health