Importance of Public Health Nursing Based On Facts towards the

Current Pandemic Health Problem

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Health Nursing is often experienced yet rarely
discussed. We typically associate medical matters when we hear the word “health”, but that is
not always the case. To be exact, Public Health Nursing focuses on improving and protecting
community health and well-being, with an emphasis on prevention among large groups of people
(Walden, 2019). Those with public health degrees keep communities healthy through child
wellness, disease prevention, education, disaster relief, clean water, access to healthcare, and
much more.

Over the years, there have been significant investments and advances in Philippine health
care system. With the sudden emergence of corona virus, what used to be neglected is now a
priority. Research has proven that safe water, sanitation and hygienic conditions are essential to
protecting human health during all infectious disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19
outbreak. Ensuring good and consistently applied WASH and waste management practices in
communities, homes, schools, marketplaces, prisons and health care facilities will further help to
prevent human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19 virus. With the above mentioned
precautions, experts at the University of the Philippines say that the country has sustained the
flattening of the curve. However, Secretary Vince Dizon, NTF Deputy Chief Implementer said
the government still needs to intensify its intervention and should be consistent in imposing all
precautionary measures so that “we can even lower the confirmed cases and the spike of cases
can be prevented nationwide.”

According to Paul Quintos, Senior Lecturer at the UP National College of Public

Administration and Governance, the Philippine government’s response to the COVID-19
pandemic has been “reactive, ad hoc and inadequate,” exposing the deeply rooted problems in
the country’s public healthcare system weakened by “deliberate policy choices, fiscal priorities
and institutional design” in favour of privatization throughout the decades. He also said that
“Years of neglect and diminution of public health” eventually caused the country’s healthcare
system to be “dreadfully ill-prepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic when it hit our
population at the start of 2020. Thus, COVID-19 pandemic has become an eye-opener to the
public and highlighted the importance of Public Health Nursing not only on the issue of hygiene
and sanitation but as well as government’s response when it comes to the public health and well
being of every citizen.

FILOMENO , GLECEREE C. BSN 2-E