Introduction To Public Health

Introduction to Public
Health
Kalonga Mwiinga (Ph. D).
Outline
1 2 3 4 5
Definition, Key A Public Health Core Functions Stakeholder role Determining &
Terms & History Approach & Essential in Public Health Influencing the
of Public Health Services of Public Health
Public Health
2 Presentation title 20XX

Introduction to Public Health
• What Public Health is
• It is the Science & Art of Protecting &
Improving the health of people & their
communities
Click icon to add picture
• Public Health encompasses 3 aspects:
• Preventing disease: prevents the spread of
disease & lessen their impact on individuals
& communities
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• Public Health encompasses 3 aspects:
• Prolonging Life: aims to extend life
expectancy through.....
• promoting healthy lifestyles Click icon to add picture
• disease research
• injury prevention
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• Public Health encompasses many aspects:
• Promoting Physical & Mental being:
• This includes.....
• Promoting healthy behaviours Click icon to add picture
• Raising awareness of mental health
• Improving access to healthcare services
5
• Physical Health refers to the overall well-
being of the body including its physical Click icon to add picture
condition, fitness, & ability to function
optimally.
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• Physical Health focuses on bodily health,
absence of diseases, & maintaining physical
fitness. Click icon to add picture
• Examples include regular exercise, balanced
nutrition, adequate sleep, managing chronic
conditions, avoiding harmful substances
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• Mental Health relates to a person’s
psychological & emotional state. Click icon to add picture
• The focus of mental health is on addressing
thoughts, emotions & behaviours.
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• Mental Health examples include coping with
stress, managing anxiety or depression, Click icon to add picture
seeking therapy, & maintaining healthy
relationships.
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• Physical & Mental Health are
interconnected.
• Changes in one can impact the other. Click icon to add picture
• Hormonal shifts during the menstrual cycle
affect mental & Physical Health
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• Sanitation & Personal Hygiene:
• Ensuring clean water, proper waste disposal,
& personal hygiene Click icon to add picture
• Control of infectious diseases
• Public health professionals work to detect,
manage, & prevent the spread of infectious
diseases within the communities
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• Organization of Health Services:
• Organize & optimize healthcare services to
meet the needs of the population. Click icon to add picture
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• Public Health is a vital field that combines
Science, Community action & organized efforts
to enhance the well-being of society.
• It addresses housing, water quality, food safety, &
environmental factors – all aimed at creating
healthier communities for everyone.
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• Public Health Key Terms
• Clinical Care
• Refers to the prevention, treatment &
management of illness
• Also concerned with the preservation of mental
& physical well-being through services offered
by medical & allied health workers
• Sometimes called ‘Health Care’.
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• Epidemic
• An occurrence in a community or region, of cases
of an illness, specific health-related behaviour, or
other health-related event clearly in excess of
normal expectancy.
• Epidemic refers to usually a larger geographic
distribution of illness
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• Determinant
• A factor that contributes to the generation of an
outcome.
• In Public Health, determinants can be:
• Social
• Environmental
• Biological
• These influence health & well-being
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• Health Outcome
• Result of medical condition that affects
someone’s quality of life or life expectancy.
• Encompasses both Physical & Mental Health.
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• Intervention
• An action that seeks to alter the course/progress
of a pathological process.
• Public Health Interventions aim to prevent,
control, or mitigate health issues.
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• Pandemic
• Denotes a disease affecting or attacking the
population of an extensive region, country, or
continent.
• Pandemics have a global impact & often spread
across borders.
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• Population Health
• An approach to Public Health
• Seeks to improve the health of an entire
population.
• Considers various factors, including social
determinants, access to care, & health disparities.
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• Prevention
• Actions taken to avoid or circumvent a
happening, conclusion, or phenomenon (e.g.
Disease).
• Prevention strategies focus on reducing risk
factors & promoting health.
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• Public Health Terms are crucial in understanding
& addressing Public Health challenges
worldwide.
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• Genesis of Public Health
• Public Health can be broken into the following
categories:
• Ancient Times
• Egyptians in this era developed sanitation
systems.
• These included...
• Waste disposal
• Clean water supply
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categories:
• Ancient Times
• Greeks & Romans focused on....
• public baths
• hygiene
• urban planning
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categories:
• Ancient Times
• Hippocrates laid the foundation for clinical
medicine.
• He also advocated for disease prevention
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categories:
• Middle Ages
• Plague outbreaks led to quarantine measures &
establishment of hospitals
• Formation of health boards in cities to enhance
sanitation & disease control
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categories:
• 18th & 19th Centuries
• John Snow: Linked Cholera in London to
contaminated water.
• He pioneered epidemiology.
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categories:
• Vaccination: Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine
& subsequent efforts reduced disease burden
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categories:
• Sanitation reforms: Improved living conditions
& reduced infectious diseases.
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categories:
• 20th Century
• Vaccination Campaigns: Aimed at eradicating
smallpox & control of polio.
• Antibiotics: Discovery of penicillin
revolutionized disease treatment
• Health agencies: WHO, CDC, etc. created.
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categories:
• Recent Challenges
• HIV/AIDS: Warranted global response to the
pandemic.
• Environmental Health: Addresses pollution,
climate change & occupational hazards.
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categories:
• Recent Challenges
• Health equity: Tackling disparities in access to
care & social determinants.
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• Core Functions & Essential Services of
Public Health
• Are crucial for safeguarding community well-
being.
• Functions & services collectively contribute to a
healthier & more resilient society.
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Public Health
• Core functions of Public Health are.....
• Assessment: Include....
• Understanding population health
• Identifying needs
• Assessing health status
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Public Health
• Policy Development: Aims to impact health
through creating & implementing...
• Policies
• Plans
• laws
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Public Health
• Assurance: Achieved via...
• ensuring equitable access to necessary services
• maintaining a skilled workforce
• Evaluating public health functions
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Public Health
• Essential public health services seek to protect &
promote the health of all people in all
communities.
• They promote policies & systems to enable
optimal health for all.
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Public Health
• There are 10 EPHS:
• Assess & Monitor Population Health:
Understand health status, community needs &
assets.
• Investigate, Diagnose & Address health
problems: Identify/tackle health hazards
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Public Health
• Communicate effectively to inform & educate:
Disseminate health information & promote
awareness
• Strengthen/Support/Mobilize communities &
partnerships: Seek collaboration
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Public Health
• Create/Champion/Implement Policies impacting
health: Advocate for policies that promote good
health.
• Utilize legal & regulatory actions for Public Health:
Put measures to protect the public
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Public Health
• Assure equitable access to individual services &
care: Ensure everyone can access needed health
services.
• Build/Support a diverse & skilled Public Health
workforce: Foster a capable team
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• Stakeholder roles in Public Health
• Stakeholders play vital roles in the field of public
health
• They contribute to effective program planning,
implementation, & evaluation.
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• Implementers: These are directly involved in
operations of public health programs
• Examples: Program Directors, Program Managers,
field staff (like disease intervention specialists,
health educators, laboratory technicians),
Volunteers & Consultants, etc.
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• Decision Makers: Individuals in positions to make
decisions about Public Health programs.
• Examples: Health department directors, program
managers, elected officials, etc.
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• Participants: Those being served or affected by
public health programs.
• Examples: Clients/patients, community members,
& health service providers (ART Clinic staff).
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• Partners: Those actively supporting/investing in
programs or populations they serve.
• Examples: Funders, Academic institutions, Faith-
based organizations, advocacy groups, Coalition
partners, etc.
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• Involving stakeholders is essential for a successful
program evaluation.
• Collaboration with stakeholders ensures that public
health efforts are relevant, feasible, & impactful.
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• Engagement of stakeholders should be done as
follows:
• Invite stakeholders to meetings:
• Brief stakeholders on the program
• Assess their interests/concerns & availability
• Identify roles/responsibilities
• Share communication plans
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• Engagement of stakeholders should be done as
follows:
• Involve stakeholders throughout the process
• Involve them in planning/implementation
• Consult them on evaluation questions, methods,
findings, etc.
• Consider their views on program’s impact
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• Determinant/Influencing Public’s Health
• These are the multi-faceted factors that
significantly influence the health outcomes of
individuals & their communities.
• These determinants of public health help to shape Click icon to add picture
the well-being of the population.
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• Social determinants of Health: These are non-
medical factors that impact health outcomes.
• Examples:
• Social environment (relationships, social support, Click icon to add picture
community cohesion).
• Economic stability (income, employment, poverty,
social class).
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• Examples:
• Education (Literacy, access to quality education, & Click icon to add picture
lifelong learning).
• Neighbourhood/Built Environment (housing
conditions, safety, green spaces, t/port).
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• Examples:
• Healthcare access & quality (availability, Click icon to add picture
affordability & utilization of health services)

• Social & community context (social norms,
discrimination, & civic participation)
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• Determinants beyond Social Determinants of
Health:
• Biological factors (Genetics, age, sex, & biological
processes). Click icon to add picture
• Psychological factors (Mental Health, coping

mechanism & stress).
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Health:
• Behavioural Factors (Lifestyle choices like diet,
exercise, substance abuse). Click icon to add picture
• Environmental Factors (Air quality, Water supply,

pollution, & climate).
• Economic Factors: job prospects, income
distribution/economic policies
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Health:
• Cultural Factors (cultural practices, beliefs, &
traditions). Click icon to add picture
• Political Factors (Polices, governance, & political

stability).
• Geographic Factors (Location, residency
(rural/urban), accessibility to resources)
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• Interventions are key in influencing public health
outcomes.
• The Health Impact Pyramid is a conceptual
framework that depicts potential impact of different Click icon to add picture
types of public health interventions.

• It shows a hierarchy of interventions based on their
reach, effectiveness, outcomes.
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• At the base of the pyramid are interventions with
the greatest potential impact on health.
• They reach entire populations & require less
individual effort. Click icon to add picture
• They focus on addressing the SDoH

• Moving up, the pyramid show interventions
requiring more individual effort
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• The Health Impact Pyramid has the following
components:
• Socioeconomic determinants: refers to non-
medical factors related to individuals’ social & Click icon to add picture
economic circumstances.
• Examples: Income & employment; education, food
security, housing, access to t/port, social support
network, etc.
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components:
• Preventive Medicine: Its goal is to prevent onset
of diseases & injuries; & targets risk factors & Click icon to add picture
promotes healthy behaviours.

• Examples: Immunizations; Screening tests;
Healthy lifestyle promotion; Chronic disease
management; FPRH
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components:
• Medical care: These require direct clinical contact
& focus on treating existing health conditions. Click icon to add picture
• Examples: Primary care visits; Specialist

Consultations; Medication Management; Hospital
Care
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components:
• Counselling & Education: Focus on knowledge,
skills & behaviour change. Click icon to add picture
• Health Literacy improves understanding of health

information & empowers individuals to make
informed decisions.
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components:
• Behavioural Change (adherence to treatment, safer

sex practices).
• Preventive measures (educate people on risk factors
& preventive strategies)
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components:
• Examples: Health education programs (workshops,

classes, campaigns/outreach on nutrition, exercise,
sexual health, etc.)
• Patient counselling/Sch. Health Prog, etc.
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• A Public Health Approach
• Consists of 4-stages:
• (1) Surveillance:
• Involves...
• identifying health issues Click icon to add picture
• What is the problem?
• Understanding their scope
• Tracking trends
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• (2) Risk & Protective Factor Identification:
• Risk Factor is a condition, behaviour, or
characteristic that increases the odds of
developing a particular health problem or disease.
• Risk factors play a crucial in shaping health
outcomes at both individual & population levels.
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• Risk Factors at individual level include...
• Family history (genetic predisposition to certain Click icon to add picture
diseases)
• Exposure to environmental hazards (pollutants,
toxins, radiation)
• Age/Sex (Health risks vary by age & sex)
• Behaviours (Smoking, lack of exercise)
• Existing health condition
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• Identifying Risk Factors is critical.....
• Identify & quantify them via statistical analyses
• Helps in coming up with appropriate interventions
• Interventions can target specific risk factors to prevent
or mitigate health problems
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• Protective Factors act as buffers against risk
factors.
• They are characteristics/conditions that reduce the
odds of negative outcomes.
• Protective factors @ individual level:
• Social Support: Strong connection with family,
friends & community
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• Protective factors @ individual level:
• Positive coping skills: Effective ways to manage Click icon to add picture
stress & adversity
• Self-esteem & Self-Efficacy: Believing in one’s
abilities & worth.
• Emotional regulation: Ability to manage
emotions constructively
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• Protective factors @ Environmental level:
• Stable family environment (supportive families)
• Access to education (Quality education enhances
overall well-being)
• Safe Neighbourhoods (Reduce exposure to violence &
crime)
• Community resources (Availability of healthcare,
recreational facilities, & social services)
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• Protective factors @ Environmental level:
• Examples of Protective factors:
• A child growing up in a nurturing family environment
with positive role models
• Access to mental health services for individuals
facing emotional challenges
• Community programs that promote healthy
behaviours & prevent substance abuse
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• (3) Intervention Evaluation:
• Involves developing & testing prevention
strategies
• Here, factors that contribute to, or mitigate health
problems are recognised.
• The question here is on ‘what works?’
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• (3) Implementation:
• Assurance of widespread adoption of appropriate
interventions.
• Effective strategies must reach the population
• The question here is ‘How to do it?’
• Therefore, this stage denotes a response to the
problem.
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• Case Scenario:
• Cholera was rampant during early 1800s in
London, causing tens of thousands of deaths. Click icon to add picture
• Cholera was commonly thought to be caused
by bad air from rotting organic matter.
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• Case Scenario:
• John Snow, considered the father of modern
epidemiology, traced the source of Cholera Click icon to add picture
outbreak.
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Summary
• Public Health is the Science & Art of
preventing disease, prolonging life, &
promoting health.
• Public Health professionals work at
community & population levels to improve
overall well-being.
• Key components include understanding
core functions, addressing determinants of
health, & implementing essential services.
87
Thank you
Kalonga Mwiinga (Ph. D)
kalonga75@gmail.com

Introduction To Public Health

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Introduction To Public Health

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Introduction to Public

2 Presentation title 20XX

the well-being of the population.

affordability & utilization of health services)

• Psychological factors (Mental Health, coping

• Environmental Factors (Air quality, Water supply,

• Political Factors (Polices, governance, & political

Click icon to add picture

types of public health interventions.

• They focus on addressing the SDoH

promotes healthy behaviours.

• Examples: Primary care visits; Specialist

• Health Literacy improves understanding of health

• Behavioural Change (adherence to treatment, safer

• Examples: Health education programs (workshops,

Click icon to add picture

Click icon to add picture

Click icon to add picture

Click icon to add picture

Click icon to add picture

Click icon to add picture

Click icon to add picture

Click icon to add picture

Click icon to add picture

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