harvard school of public health

harvard school of public health

The Importance of Public Health Education

1. Introduction

Public health education is considered today at the global level as a vital investment to enhance the health and well-being of the people. It is universally recognized that a strong public health system in all countries is essential not only to improve the health of individuals, but also to raise the health status of populations and the global community. The most effective way to improve health in developing as well as developed countries is to focus on prevention of disease and illness. This is the underlying goal of all public health initiatives. Currently, a central and often neglected component of disease prevention is educating the public. As public health continues to gain prominence on a global scale, there is an increasing need to find new and innovative methods to effectively deliver public health information to the community. This essay will argue the significant importance of public health education, through the promotion of learning, increased knowledge and active involvement of the individual, as an approach to prevention that is likely to lead to vast improvements in health outcomes around the world. The potential for positive health outcomes has consistent linkages with cost savings. This is important as governments and society can thereby be more convinced of the merits of prevention and the resources required to establish and maintain effective public health initiatives.

2. The Role of Harvard School of Public Health

Historically, the Harvard School of Public Health has been a wellspring for the generation of new ideas and theories. For example, in an era when most American epidemiologists believed their science should consist of counting sick people and then serve up a series of intricate case studies in an attempt to find out what happened, the HSPH epidemiology department recruited a group of researchers that employed what was at that time a revolutionary idea. They believed that epidemiology should be nothing less than a science that studies the cause of health and disease events in human populations. This simple but novel concept would eventually become the cornerstone of modern epidemiologic research. Adhering to the tradition of its pioneering past, HSPH continues to generate theories and ideas that are in the vanguard of modern public health practice. Recent years have produced theoretical frameworks for the roles of medical doctors, which are historically situated in social arenas as health advocates for marginalized people, global economic development, and the relationship of environment and disease, and methods of molecular biology to discern genetic susceptibilities to environment-mediated disease.”

“They have left tradition and embraced science as the way to produce their work as public health professionals. In this way, they believe they are adhering to the legacy of the revolutionary founders of the school. Most importantly, they hold the quintessential view of a harmonious environment balanced with diverse professionalism and optimistic adventure. These new health professionals are reminiscent of the young gun-slinging epidemiologist, armed with the most recent advances in statistical computing and the fervent desire to decipher these myriad environmental health problems. To this breed of public health professional, the Harvard School of Public Health offers a setting, an environment, which is unparalleled. The Harvard School of Public Health is a place where the quest for knowledge and question asking are paramount to the process of learning.

3. Key Areas of Study at Harvard School of Public Health

The Harvard School of Public Health awards a Master of Public Health (MPH) in eight areas of study. The MPH is for those who already possess a medical degree and want to specialize or do research. The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) includes studies in four of the eight areas, enabling students to concentrate in any of these areas. A Master of Science (SM) is offered in biostatistics, epidemiology, and health and social behavior. The School is part of a large complex of health-related schools in Boston’s Longwood area. Students in the School now have cross-registration privileges with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and take courses in other Harvard faculties and the neighboring Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. This abundant curricular resource enables students to design a program of study tailored to their interests and needs. Cross-registration also is possible with the Boston campus of the University of Massachusetts. Public health practice is planned to be developed as a more specialized area of study in the future. This will enable students to combine a year-long field placement in a practice setting with structured programs of coursework in many areas of the School.

4. Impact and Influence of Public Health Education

Taking a patient and community-centered approach, public health education is guided by the will of groups and individuals. It addresses broad problems with health and aims to empower individuals and communities to require control over their own health. In achieving this, there’s a necessity to boost overall awareness of the importance of health and therefore a variety of initiatives increasing the provision and quality of education are required. Step one in raising awareness to consist of the general population is to promote health in a very constructive means, both to individuals and also to the social and economic environment. This isn’t essentially a straightforward task because it should typically so providing making an attempt to change people’s behavior. However, it is worth the trouble because it’s a very effective method of enhancing population health.

Public health education improves the health status of people. The significance of any educational intervention isn’t solely concerning understanding, nor concerning obtaining a positive perspective. It’s judged by the impact on the person and the community. Education regarding tobacco, as an example, will have its impact on health throughout life and thus reduce the number of impaired years. The development of an individual and also the society is determined by the standard of education that he’s given. If the education is of a high standard, it will lead to the betterment of society by providing employment and still by increasing the skills and data of the people.

Improved Health Status

5. Conclusion

The role of the health education specialist is one that is worthy of emulation. The specialists can further or specialize in community health, which is the basis for the prevention of disease and promotion of healthy lifestyles. The time is now; the escalating public interest in better health and quality of care is creating opportunities for health education specialists. Ultimately, this is a good thing for practitioners of health care, and it is positive for the patients who ultimately experience better care and a higher standard of living.

With an increased public awareness of the causes of chronic diseases, the importance of public health education and promotion regarding risk factors for chronic diseases will become more evident. Poor communities, marginalized groups, and people in underdeveloped countries will be able to improve their access to preventative and curative health care. This will result in an improved standard of living and a higher quality of life for many.

In conclusion, the health education needs to be more emphasized and the cost effectiveness of doing it needs to be realized. Many people do not understand the importance of prevention and early detection of disease. It is often overshadowed by the treatment of disease, which has resulted in an environment of increasing costs for the treatment of chronic diseases. Health education overcomes this monetary barrier to treatment of disease; it prevents rather than treats.