M1c-Intro into Public Health - Essay Example

Introduction to Public Health This paper discusses the concept of public health significance as contrasted with that of personal health. It also looks into the importance of information, education and empowerment of the population on health issues. Finally it highlights the ten greatest public health achievements that have been so far realised.IntroductionPublic health is a discipline that promotes and ensures that the health of the entire public is protected (Rohe, 1887). This implies that the epidemics and spread of disease, environmental hazards and injuries are responded to by use of quality and accessible health services.

Therefore public health significance is the public vulnerability to epidemics and other environmental hazards (Rohe, 1887). This significance varies from place to place because of different mechanisms put in place by the respective authorities to curb any transmissions and spread. Majorly the basic tool used in public health is epidemiology-used to study and define it, find the cause, intervene to address the cause, and evaluate to determine whether the intervention works and the problem decreases (Rohe, 1887).

The interventions that authorities may put in place includes: laws, regulations, product design, immunizations, antibiotics, taxes, and education.On the other hand, personal health is the science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals (CDC, 1999). Personal health depends partially on the active, passive, and assisted cues people observe and adopt about their own health (Rohe, 1887).

These include personal actions for preventing or minimizing the effects of a disease, usually a chronic condition, through integrative care. They also include personal hygiene practices to prevent infection and illness, such as bathing and washing hands with soap; brushing and flossing teeth; storing, preparing and handling food safely; and many others (Rohe, 1887). The information gleaned from personal observations of daily living - such as about sleep patterns, exercise behavior, nutritional intake, and environmental features - may be used to inform personal decisions and actions.

Inform, Educate and Empower People about Health IssuesThis service involves making health information and educational resources accessible; Providing health information and education activities that shape attitudes and build knowledge necessary to reduce health risk and promote better health; Establishing health communication plans and activities that use media advocacy and social marketing approaches to shape attitudes and build knowledge; Enabling informed decision-making among individuals in making health choices and among leaders establishing health policies for the community; Maintaining health education and promotion program partnerships with schools, faith communities, work sites, personal care providers, and others to implement and reinforce health promotion programs that shape attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed in a healthy community population.

They assist to empower people to make informed decisions regarding individual and community health matters. The aim of all this is to identify public health issues which are of concern to the communities.Conclusion: The great public health achievementsOne important worldwide public health achievement is the decline in the child mortality rate (deaths in children under age 5 years), which has decreased from 77 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 62 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2009. The other one is the new and expanded use of vaccines to combat vaccine-preventable diseases is a worldwide great public health achievement.

Other public health achievements include: Access to safe water and sanitation, Malaria Prevention and Control, Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis Control, Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Tobacco Control and Increased Awareness and Response for Improving Global Road Safety as we can see, great progress was made in raising life expectancy and reducing mortality among infants and young children through improvements in living conditions and activities to combat major infectious causes of death (Rohe, 1887).

References:CDC (1999). Ten Great Public Health Achievements. Morbidity and Mortality United States Weekly Reports, 48(12):241–243.Rohe, H. (1887). Address in State Medicine, Recent Advances in Preventative Medicine. New York: American Medical Association