According to the World Health Organization, Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well

being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Health is a dynamic condition resulting from a body's constant adjustment and adaptation in response to
stresses and changes in the environment.
It is also an essential component of development, vital to a nation's economic growth and internal stability.

Community - A community is a social unit of any size that shares common values.
A group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society
A sociological group in a large place sharing one environment. It includes the individual and family.
Community Health refers to the health status of a defined group of people, or community, and the actions and
conditions that protect and improve the health of the community.
Those individuals who make up a community live in a somewhat localized area under the same general
regulations, norms, values, and organizations.
For example, the health status of the people living in a particular town, and the actions taken to protect and
improve the health of these residents, would constitute community health.
Environmental health addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the
related factors impacting behaviours.
It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health.
It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments.
Characteristics of a Healthy Community
1. A clean and safe physical environment
2. An environment that meets everyones basic needs
3. An environment that promotes social harmony and actively involves everyone
4. An understanding of local health and environment issues
5. A community that participates in identifying local solutions to problems
6. 6. A community whose members have access to varied experiences, means of interaction and communication
7. 7. Accessible and appropriate health services and facilities
8. 8. The promotion and celebration of historical and cultural heritage
9. 9. A diverse and innovative economy
10. 10. A sustainable use of available resources for all
Primary health care refers to a broad range of health services most often delivered in community-based
settings. Primary health care services seek to intervene early to maximize health and wellbeing outcomes and prevent or
slow the progression of ill health.
Maternal Health Care
Pre-natal, Natal, Post-natal
Child Health Care
Immunizations, Control of diarrheal diseases
Nutrition Program
Operation Timbang, Food Suplementation
Population and Family Planning Program
Free Family Planning
Control of Communicable Diseases
Tuberculosis Control Program
Environmental Sanitation Program
Inspection of food establishments
Control on non-communicable diseases
Blood Pressure Screening
Medical Morbidity clinic
Provision of free medicines
Dental Health Program
Tooth Extraction
National Voluntary Blood Services
Blood-letting activity at barangay level
Reproductive Health Care
Counseling on family planning and RH
Mental Hygiene
Adolescent Counseling Centers
Disaster management preparedness program
Medical Services/ assistance during disaster
Epidemiology and Surveillance program
Controlling outbreaks like Dengue
Pharmacy Services
Distribution of medicines to all health centers
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne
particles resulting from the flush.
Dengue mosquitoes only bite in the morning. Noontime, afternoon and evening mosquito bites are not likely to
be dengue.
About half of the world's population is now at risk of dengue.
HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria kill 6 million people every year; nearly 2 million deaths are caused by TB
Common Cold is the most common communicable disease in the world
Malaria is thought to have caused the most harm to the most people.
Around 3,000 people a day die of malaria, of whom three out of four are children.
One pint of blood can help save as many as three lives.
Non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, are by far the leading cause of death in the world, representing 63% of all
annual deaths.
WHO World Health Organization
Natal pertaining to a persons birth
Community Health - a field within public health concerned with the study and improvement of the health of
biological communities
Environmental Health - branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built
environment that may affect human health
Health - a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity
LESSON 2: COMMUNITY HEALTH PROBLEMS
Different perennial problems happen to the different regions of the country.
They vary according to factors like: economy, politics, geography, culture and social context. There are places
which experience community health problems like:
water-borne and communicable diseases
armed conflicts
natural disasters
highly urbanized zones
overpopulated areas
Communicable Diseases
Communicable diseases spread from one person to another or from an animal to a person.
The spread often happens via airborne viruses or bacteria, but also through blood or other bodily fluid.
The terms infectious and contagious are also used to describe communicable disease.
Germs are tiny organisms (living things) that may cause disease.
There are four major types of germs:
Bacteria
Viruses
Fungi
Protozoa
Armed Conflicts
An armed conflict is a contested incompatibility which concerns government and or territory where the use of
armed force between two parties, of which at least one is the government of a state, results in at least 25 battle-
related deaths.
Natural Disaster
A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth. A natural
disaster can cause loss of life or property damage, and typically leaves some economic damage in its
wake, the severity of which depends on the affected population's resilience, or ability to recover.
Examples: Floods, Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, Tsunamis

Highly Urbanized Zones
Highly-urbanized Cities are cities with a minimum population of two hundred thousand (200,000)
inhabitants, as certified by the National Statistics Office.
There are currently 33 highly urbanized cities in the Philippines, 16 of them located in Metro Manila.
Increasing levels of urbanization are caused by natural growth of the urban population and migration of the
rural population towards cities.
Over the past halfcentury, a great rural-to-urban population shift has occurred and the process of urbanization
(the concentration of people and activities into areas classified as urban) is set to continue well into the 21
st

century.
Overpopulation is where there are too many people and not enough resources to support a satisfactory quality
of life.
The effects of overpopulation are quite severe. The most common of all these is the depletion of resources.
Overpopulation in developing countries puts a major strain on the resources it should be utilizing for
development.
Conflicts over water are becoming a source of tension between countries, which could result in wars.
It causes more diseases to spread and makes them harder to control.
o Starvation is a huge issue facing the world and the mortality rate for children is being fuelled by it.
Poverty is the biggest hallmark we see when talking about overpopulation.
When a country becomes overpopulated, it gives rise to unemployment as there fewer jobs to support large
number of people. Rise in unemployment gives rise to crime as people will steal various items to feed their
family and provide them basic amenities of life.
As difference between demand and supply continues to expand due to overpopulation, it raises the prices of
various commodities including food, shelter and healthcare. This means that people have to pay more to survive
and feed their families.
Community Health Problems
Human Excreta and Sewage
Disease Control
Peace and Order
Waste Disposal
Food Sanitation
Water Supply
Drug Abuse and Prevention In the Community
EXCRETA: HUMAN FECES AND URINE
o Contains nutrients like:
Nitrogen (N)- 12g.
Phosphorous(P)-2g.
Potassium(K)-3g.
Organic matter-90g.
HEALTH HAZARDS OF IMPROPER WASTE DISPOSAL:
o Soil pollution
o Water pollution
o Contamination of foods
o Propagation of flies
DISEASES CAUSED FROM CONTAMINATION ARE:
Typhoid fever
Diarrheas
Cholera
Hookworm and other intestinal parasitic diseases
viral hepatitis
SANITARY SEWAGE
SEPTIC TANK/SYSTEM
About 99.9% water and 0.10 % solid
Typically consists of washing water , feces , urine , laundry waste and other material which goes down
drains and toilets from households and industries.
Disease Control
Active surveillance involves visiting health facilities, talking to health-care providers and reviewing
medical records to identify suspected cases of disease under surveillance.
Designated active surveillance staff regularly visit health facilities in person to search for suspected
cases among persons who might have attended the facility.
It involves physical review of medical records and registers, interviews with health workers and visits to
relevant outpatient clinics and hospital wards.
Peace and Order
Peace and order is an essential ingredient in maintaining economic development, social order and
political stability.
A condition of peace and order facilitates the growth of investments, generates more employment
opportunities and attracts more tourists.
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and
communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area.
Waste Disposal
Waste management is the "generation, prevention, characterization, monitoring, treatment, handling,
reuse and residual disposition of solid wastes".
There are various types of solid waste including municipal (residential, institutional, commercial),
agricultural, and special (health care, household hazardous wastes, sewage sludge).
Food Sanitation
Food sanitation is the practice of following certain rules and procedures to prevent the contamination of
food, keeping it safe to eat.
.The practice of food sanitation is recommended at every step of the supply chain within the food
industry, from workers in crop fields to waiters at restaurants.
The term "food sanitation" typically refers to rules and procedures within the food industry, whether
during production, packaging, transporting or serving.
Food Sanitation Rules
OAR 333-150-0000
On September 4, 2012, the Foodborne Illness Prevention Program adopted the 2009 FDA Food Code
with Oregon Amendments.
The Code on sanitation of the Philippines : Presidential Decree No. 856
Water Supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community
endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes.
Drug Abuse, Prevention and Control in the Community
Drug abuse is the recurrent use of illegal drugs, or the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter
drugs with negative consequences. These consequences may involve
Problems at work, school, home or in interpersonal relationships
Physical risks that come with using drugs in dangerous situations
Preventing or delaying use of psychoactive drugs, alcohol, and tobacco among adolescents is a critical,
national public health goal. The simplest and most cost-effective way to lower the human and societal costs
of drug abuse is to prevent it in the first place.
Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) organisms or as
parasites (dependent on another organism for life).
Viruses depend upon a host to survive, grow, and reproduce. A host is the plant or animal on which or in in
which another organism lives. Viruses can't live outside of other living cells.
Fungi are multi-celled plant-like organisms. Unlike other plants, fungi aren't able to produce their own food
from soil, water, and air. Instead, fungi get their nutrition from plants, food, and animals.
Protozoa are one-celled organisms like bacteria. Protozoa also love moisture and often spread diseases
through contaminated water. Protozoa also love moisture and often spread diseases through contaminated
water. Some protozoa cause intestinal infections.
Food Sanitation refers to the hygienic measures for ensuring food safety
Septic Tank is a tank, typically underground, in which sewage is collected and allowed to decompose
through bacterial activity before draining by means of a leaching field.
Flood is an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines, especially over what is
normally dry land.
Volcanic Eruption is the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge of steam and volcanic material.