what is public health essay

what is public health essay

The Importance of Public Health

1. Introduction

Public health provides a framework that is complementary to the acute care model, an approach that is well suited to the social and medical patterns of chronic disease. It does so by providing a method of understanding and acting on many of the conditions that are most detrimental to the health of populations, as well as by working to minimize the consequences of chronic illness. The importance of the public health segment of chronic disease control is best illustrated by examining all that it has accomplished in reducing the occurrence and effects of non-communicable disease. This might best be done by walking through the various approaches to prevention of chronic disease, discussing the success and potential of each. Following this, a series of case studies illustrate how public health has improved the health of those with chronic disease.

2. Definition of Public Health

Public health has been defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals” (Winslow, 1920). This definition places public health within the context of it being both a science and an art. As a science, public health is concerned with the objective and systemic investigation into the causes and remedies of disease, reduced life expectancy and poorer health of specific populations and the subsequent application of knowledge to the effect of protecting and improving health. As an art, public health is concerned with the practice of applying scientific knowledge to improve the health of the general population. This demands an understanding of the social and economic determinants of the health status of populations, communities and individuals and an application of that understanding to improve health. The Institute of Medicine’s future of the public’s health in the 21st century reiterates the notion of public health being a dual concept as both a vision and a mission. A good health status or vision of health results in a quality of life and accomplishment of goals that are important to a person or a group. This means having the ability, opportunity and supportive environments to make informed decisions about one’s health. The vision of public health is to achieve the best health for the whole population. This is inclusive of those who are healthy and those with acute or chronic health conditions. A mission is then defined as a series of focused, concrete and realistic steps to move towards the vision of health. Public health then is assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy. This is by identifying health issues and problems, determining their cause, creating and implementing solutions and evaluating the progress.

3. Key Components of Public Health

Of medicine and specifically public health in its first report on the subject (IOM, 1988). The report developed the following list of specific services that should be provided to assure the conditions under which people can be healthy. Assessment is the regular collection, analysis, and sharing of information about health conditions, risks and resources in a community (66). Health data are the foundation of public health practice. Much of the work of public health is based on identifying populations that are at risk for certain health conditions. For example, after the expensive and widespread experience of screening for hypertension in schools, it was determined that the highest risk group for hypertension was the population of elderly people who had never been screened. High risk women were found by examining the incidence of hypertension in the offspring of the participants of the original Framingham study. These examples of efficient targeting of populations at risk were the result of careful assessment of the population and health conditions. Without the initial information about the specific populations, it is likely that screening would have been haphazard and less effective (Woolf, 1996).

4. Benefits of Public Health

With healthier societies comes fewer limitations on an individual’s quality of life. Those who are in good health have more opportunity to prosper in education and employment, and less physical and mental impairment means more chance for social and recreational activity. These factors can facilitate further economic growth within a country, thus continuing the cycle of positive health determinants in the population. As most of the benefits of public health on the health determinants are working in a positive feedback cycle, the situation will continue to improve the health of the population until it is sustainable.

When public health measures are effective, they can produce enormous benefits, many of which are long term. Safer workplaces and effective public health measures can help reduce work-related illness and the economic and social burden of disease. Combinations of these health measures are sure to positively impact the health of the population. A good example is the smoking of tobacco and the effects it has on public health. If we were to implement public health measures in an attempt to reduce the number of people smoking, this would then reduce the number of people suffering smoking-related illness in the future. This measure would also save billions in medical treatment for smoking-related illness. Using this as a basis, we can say that public health measures will result in a healthier society for generations to come and substantially lessen the economic and social burden of illness.

5. Conclusion

This essay has focused on the importance of public health at the national or global level. It has tried to portray that public health is indeed a vital and necessary measure for a healthy and prospering society. In comparison to the individual, the measures and methods may be quite similar, but the ultimate goal and purpose are what draw the line between personal health and public health. An individual is concerned for his or her own health and well-being, but the strive for healthy living is a collective hope for a community or society. A community is a group of people and public health is what helps the group. It is known that every developed nation on this earth has a system of public health. The healthier the citizens, the better will be a country’s prospects for development and prosperity. Public health can be an investment for the future, it can enable future generations to have a better living than the ancestors, and it can prevent social and health disparities between different regions of the world. This can lead us to a global issue or goal of health for all, and that is essentially what it says on the tin.

Public health is constantly maintaining health and seeking new methods of health promotion and disease prevention. It is proactive and its programs strive to be beneficial and cost-effective. It aims to extend healthy lifespans and quality of living for the whole population. Public health has a moral and legal obligation to provide care and resources for attaining the highest possible level of health for the communities in which it serves.

Health is not only a basic necessity but a requirement for an adequate living. The global population realizes the fact that good health and physical exercise will be able to keep them away from illness and diseases. Although it is perceived that public health is necessary only during illness, this essay has tried to convey the importance of public health in various stages of life: for an individual, for a community, and at a national level. Public health tries to improve the quality of life and it can deal with protection and improvement issues at a rather wider perspective. Public health tries to prevent people from falling into illness by health educating and it can save the medical treatments for the ill. It is said that health is a state of complete physical and mental well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The public has to be organized and proactive for achieving a state of complete well-being. Public health tries to make this achievable for everyone and is a stated aim in its definition in many countries. Public health can theoretically improve the health of an entire population. It can eradicate the causes of diseases and illnesses and it can prevent them from reoccurring. A well-known example of successful public health improvement is the clean and healthful drinking water, eradication of diseases through immunizations and vaccinations. This essay has discussed how these issues can directly affect the quality of life.