PUBLIC HEALTH

What is Public Health?

Objectives of Public Health.
History of Public Health.
Modern Concept of Public
Health

What is Public Health?

Public Health is 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
(1920, C. E. A. Winslow).
Threats to health based on population
health analysis; local area to several
continents
Dimensions of health

 Objective:
Prevent and manage diseases,
injuries and other health
conditions, through
Surveillance of cases
Promotion of healthy behaviors,
communities & environments

History:
Modern concept of human
development in science
Theory of miasma
Attempts to regulate behaviour that
related to health
Development of public health policies &
programs

Early public health interventions

Proper diversion of human waste (Roman
times)
Practice of variolation (1000 BC)

 Practice of vaccination 1820s (Edward

Jenner treatment smallpox)
14th century Black Death in Europe
Medieval period: Quarantine
1829 1851, Cholera pandemic 1st fought
by Social Medicine borne of the
miasma theory
1854 Cholera outbreak in London;
Dr. John Snows identification of polluted
public water well Germ theory
1880s; Modern era with Louis Pasteurs germ
theory and production of artificial vaccines.

Modern Public Health

Following Pasteur;
Latrinization, sewers, collection of garbage
(incineration or landfill), clean water,
draining stagnant water etc
Vaccination & immunization (early 20 th
century)

20th century;
Chronic diseases & emerging infectious
diseases
From 1980s focus shifted from individual
behaviours & risk factors to population-level
issues;- inequality, poverty and education.

 Modern Public Health is concerned

with addressing the determinants
of health across a population.
Factors affecting health include;
Where we live
Genetics
Income levels
Educational status
Social relationships
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

New Public Health seeks to address

these health inequalities by advocating
for population-based policies that
improve health in an equitable manner.

Modern public health incorporates

the interdisciplinary approaches of
epidemiology,
biostatistics,
health services,
behavioural science/health education,
environmental health,
emergency medical services,

 Health Economics
International/Global health
Maternal and Child Health/Family Health
Nutrition
Occupational Health
Public Health Laboratory Practice
Public Health Policy
Public Health Practice

 PH practice therefore requires

multidisciplinary teams of
professionals including