Fundamentals of public health management

World health organization (WHO) in the year 1948 defined health as “a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The WHO
constitution claims that every government is responsible for the health of their peoples which can be
fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures. (WHO, 2020)

Definition and Key Terms of Public Health

American Bacteriologist Charles-Edward Amory has defined public health 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.” (2020)

Let us see some of the facts from history with regards to public health:

 The Greeks and the Roman introduced sanitization measure for the whole community in the
500 BCE

 In 1840 the Public Health Act was established in the United Kingdom.

 In 1970 the environment Protection Agency was founded in the USA.

 In 1918 500 million people worldwide were infected with Influenza

 In 1955 polio vaccine was introduced

 34 million worldwide were infected with HIV and only a 20% decline in infections was
observed since 2001

Goals and Values of Public Health

To have a safe living environment the public health focuses to minimize the effects of any disease by
implementing effective measures to reduce premature deaths and safety measures to keep the
effects of a particular disease, injury, and disability under control. The following are the important
values that help public health are:

 Commitment to equality, social justice, and sustainable development.

 Recognition of the importance of the health of the community as well as the individual.

 Self-determination, respect for diversity, empowerment, and community participation.

Importance of Public Health

Public health is an important factor to undertake health measures and preventive measures to
eradicate the current deadly diseases, along with future measures to control any upcoming future
health problems. Also, ailments which do not requires a specific treatment strategy, and the person
gets healthy with certain tips. Public health measures and actions play a very important role in both
developed and developing countries.

All the public health issues are controlled by the world health organization. But in most of the
countries, the complete health system of the country is controlled by the health department and
various health ministries. For instance, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA
handles all the health activities that are of most importance to the people.

For example, in the United States of America, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Core
Functions of Public Health. There are three main core functions of Public Health:
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