Hari Prasad Kafle, MPH

Pokhara University

Public HealthThe “Big Picture”

What is Public Health?

The sum of all official or

governmental efforts to promote, protect,

and preserve the people’s health.

Public Health

“The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health and efficiency through organized community effort.”

-CEA Winslow, 1920

“The process of mobilizing and engaging local, state, national, and international resources to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy”

-The Oxford Textbook of Public Health

Public Health

“The science and practice of protecting and improving the health of the community, as by preventive medicine, health education, control of communicable diseases, application of sanitary measures, and monitoring of environmental hazards.” -The American Heritage Dictionary of Public Health

Public Health

“Public health is what we, as a society, do collectively to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy.”

-Source: Institute of Medicine Report (IOM). THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC

HEALTH. Washington DC: National Academy Press. 1988.

Public Health is many things

A System

A Profession

A Method

Government Service

The Health of the Public

Public Health Approach

Public Health

Model

Medical

Model

Versus

Public Health Approach

Public Health ModelPopulationDisease PreventionHealth PromotionInterventions

Environment Human behavior

Government (Some private)

Medical ModelIndividualDiagnosisTreatmentIntervention

Medical carePrivate (Some public)

11

What physician sees?

What the physician does not see ?

Core Functions of Public Health

Core Activities of Public Health

1. Prevents epidemics and the spread of disease

2. Protects against environmental hazards

3. Responds to disasters and assists communities in recovery

4. Prevents injuries

5. Promotes healthy behaviors

6. Assures the quality, accessibility and accountability of health services

7. Monitoring the health status of the population

8. Mobilizing community action

9. Reaching out to link high-risk and hard-to-reach people to needed services

10. Researching to develop new insights and innovative solutions

11. Leading the development of sound health policy and planning

Core Activities of Public Health

Ten Great Public Health Achievements

VaccinationMotor-vehicle safetySafer workplacesControl of infectious

diseasesDecline in deaths from

coronary heart disease and stroke

Safer and healthier foods

Healthier mothers and babies

Family planningFluoridation of drinking

waterRecognition of tobacco

use as a health hazardCDC, 1999

Public Health Problems and Diseases Communicable diseases Non communicable diseasesEnvironmental pollutionMaternal child health

problemsMalnutrition and

micronutrient deficiency Municipal and hospital

wasteGeriatric health problemsOverpopulation

Measles InfluenzaPoliomyelitis Tuberculosis Cholera Dengue MalariaHIV/AIDSObesity Cancer Diabetes

Public Health Organizations

Non Governmental National

NFHPFPANNepal Red CrossPLAN Nepal

InternationalCAREUnited Mission to NepalSave the ChildrenMarie Stopes InternationalFamily Health International

• United Nation

• WHO

• WFP

• FAO

• UNICEF

• UNDP

Public Health Organizations Governmental

District health office Public health office Regional health directorate Regional training center Department of health services Ministry of health and

population Primary health care institutions

Others Academic institutions Research organizations Community development

organizations Quality control offices Health training centers Local development offices

A Sampling of Public Health Professions

Population, Family Planning & Reproductive Health

Maternal Child health Public Health Education and Health

PromotionCommunity health planning and

policy developmentPublic health administrationEpidemiology and disease control Alcohol, tobacco and other drugsEnvironmental & occupational health

and safety Food and nutrition

Gerontological healthHIV AIDS Injury control and emergency

health Services International HealthMental HealthOral HealthPublic Health NursingSchool Health Education and

ServicesWomen’s health and gender

development

Thank You!

“Healthy People in Healthy Community.”