According to the professionals, public health is basically the science of promoting well being, preventing illness and generally prolonging the health of society through combined efforts on behalf of a range of individuals, groups and organizations on both a public and private level. It is important to keep in mind that public health isn’t just the responsibility of government agencies; it is something that private organizations, communities, families and individuals can get involved in. While many of the efforts of these organizations tend to be focused on a smaller scale, these efforts tend to have been put in place with broader aims in mind, which tends to make this field a very wide reaching subject.
Many individuals tend to get involved in public health because they want to make a difference, although not everyone is cut out for it. This sort of position can be very challenging, and it is usually best suited for those who enjoy the challenges that arise as they go about trying to fulfill a wide range of duties. Anyone interested in this field will most likely want to take some time to get to know it a bit better. After all, the industry is a far reaching one and the roles that people play within it are extremely varied.
A Comprehensive Approach
When it comes to public health, most professionals see this as a collaborative effort that is based on the promotion of health within communities throughout the world. While the state might play a key role in promoting health and well being, partnerships between various organizations, communities and individuals will determine whether efforts made on behalf of the state are successful. Before a program is run on an individual, familial or even organizational basis, the aims of the group are usually clearly outlined. It is these outlines that are usually used to determine whether or not the program was implemented successfully, as well as whether overall goals were reached. These also play an important role because it allows groups to determine what they could have done differently in order to improve their results in the future.
YouTube Special Feature
A big part of this industry is to uncover those underlying facets that could have an indirect, though powerful, effect on public health and find ways to manipulate or eradicate negative components where necessary. These facets are uncovered by conducting research within the field of a professional’s choice. For this reason, those who are involved in this field will often require data analysis skills, among others, because it helps them read information about individuals, communities and organizations in a clear, concise manner.
When research is conducted in this manner, it also helps individuals to manipulate certain facets to determine whether or not they will have far reaching effects. In some instances, these changes are made on smaller scales before being implemented on wider scales. They can tell the professionals a lot about whether a policy will work, especially when they are tested on representative samples within the communities of their choice.
Key Domains
There are currently three domains that public health tends to fall within, including; the improvement of health, the improvement of services and the protection of health. Health improvement tends to revolve around inequalities in health services, improving education, employment and housing, as well as enhancing lifestyles and monitoring risk factors that could end up having a negative impact on a person’s health and well being.
Inequalities in health services often mean that individuals do not undergo important screenings that will ultimately identify and help professionals treat conditions that plague populations. What is more, inequalities within this sector often mean that individuals don’t get access to the treatments they need, when they need it. Improvements in education go a long way in teaching individuals how to take care of themselves, and this includes teaching them more about the foods they should be eating, getting enough exercise and generally how to avoid causing harm to their overall well being. Improving employment prospects ensures individuals will be able to afford healthcare.
When it comes to improving services, this allows professionals to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their clinical services, as well as enhance the manner in which clinics and other facilities such as this are run. This improvement of services could actually improve the manner in which healthcare is delivered, allowing individuals to benefit from it in the long run. Improving facilities not only allows professionals to improve the service that they provide to the general public, but it usually leads to the public turning to these services on a more regular basis. Due to the strain that health services can often have on an economy, having them run as efficiently as possible isn’t just something that can help the clients; it is something that can go a long way in benefiting the entire nation.
Health protection, lastly, is that facet of public health that deals directly with some of the negative influences on people’s health and well being, including radiation, infectious diseases, poisons, chemicals and environmental hazards. In many instances, it is up to the public health professionals to inform the public about what is bad for them, as well as how they can go about preventing themselves from becoming ill. Professionals might utilize television, radio and even billboards to get their messages across, including governmental organizations such as schools. By utilizing as many avenues as possible, these professionals ensure that their message gets afcross as quickly and as clearly as possible.
By focusing on these three areas, those within the public health sector can go a long way in promoting well being and healthy practices, not only at a governmental level, but at an individual level. In some instances, professionals might focus on one or two facets, while in other cases, the policies that they implement could end up having an impact on all of these areas of public health. These are generally known as large scale implementations and they require the coordination of many different groups. These can be difficult to undertake, but they often lead to wide scale reforms that tend to have a very positive impact on the health and well being of a population.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations have led to the eradication of a wide range of conditions, including tetanus, measles, rubella and diphtheria within the West, as well as many other parts of the world. Vaccines are controlled and promoted by public health officials who not only educate the population about the benefits of these vaccines, but fund organizations that will deliver these to the public. Some organizations choose to visit schools in order to give out these vaccinations, while others oversee them within the hospital setting.
Vehicle Safety Standards
Deaths and even minor accidents on the roads are a major concern for public health officials. In order to combat this, many choose to run campaigns, informing the public of the dangers of speeding or driving under the influence. Many of these organizations conduct research to find out exactly which facets contribute to accidents on the roads so that they can then go on to implement policies or run programs that tackle these issues. There are also organizations within this sector that deal with the manufacturing standards of motor vehicles to ensure that they are safe for public use.
Commercial Sectors
Public health doesn’t simply deal with individuals in the private sector; this can also extend to work places. One of the major roles that is played by public health professionals is the overseeing of work places throughout the country to ensure that they are safe and will not have a negative impact on the overall health and well being of the employees within. In the past, issues such as worker’s pneumoconiosis, or black lung, were rampant, but these numbers have been greatly reduced because of policies that have been implemented since then. According to a recent study, fatal occupational injuries have reduced by 40% since 1980.
Controlling Infectious Diseases
Another major role that is played by public health agencies is the controlling of infectious diseases. Many of these diseases are a result of poor sanitation and dirty water, so a lot of effort has gone on to improving these services in recent years. As a result, conditions such as typhoid and cholera have been greatly reduced.
Reducing Noncommunicable Diseases
In the past couple of decades, it has been found that by improving the lifestyle of an individual, this could end up greatly improving their risk of developing a noncommunicable disease, such as a heart attack or stroke. Efforts have, therefore, gone into promoting better eating habits, increasing exercise and preventing the development of unhealthy habits, such as smoking. It has been found that since 1972, the death rates associated with coronary heart disease have gone down by more than 50%.
Healthy Prenatal Behaviors
The mortality rate for infants has been reduced by 90% since 1900, and the mortality rate of mothers has declined by 99%. This is a result of better prenatal care, such as nutrition, as well as because of an increase in antibiotics. All of this falls within the scope of public health.
Typical Public Health Jobs
The field of public health is so broad that individuals will have a hard time pinpointing the most lucrative professions within the field. It should be noted, however, that there are certain positions that tend to be more popular than others, including health promotion specialists, community development workers, health visitors, health psychologists and private health sector consultants. While there are many more positions that are open to individuals within these fields, these are some of the most common options that are currently available on the market, so they are usually some of the first ones that people think about when they think of public health.
Health promotion specialists are also known as health education specialists. These professionals aim at improving the overall health and well being of individuals within their care, and they also strive to have people take control of their health. In some instances, these professionals might simply give some advice to their clients, but in other instances, they could be involved in producing strategies that actually work to promoting health and well being of a large number of people. The main aim of these professionals is to promote healthy lifestyles.
These professionals might work within organizations, such as prisons or schools, or they could end up working in certain neighborhoods. They tackle a very wide range of issues, including drug misuse, alcohol dependency and even smoking.
Health visitors, on the other hand, work in varied settings and they are in charge of delivering health related services to individuals from the time a woman is pregnant, right up to the point where the child has reached the age of five years. Some parents slip seamlessly into their roles, but others often have some difficulties, and this is where these professionals can step in.
Community developers aim to instigate change within a community setting certain policies in place that will ultimately have an impact on families, as well as the wider communicates. These professionals often work with individuals, although it is usually with a wider-scale purpose in mind.
Public health is responsible for the overall health and well being of the general populace. This sector is not only responsible for stopping the spread of infectious diseases, but also in educating the public so that they are better able to take care of themselves. Overall, this is an exciting and challenging field that will continue to grow and will remain integral as long as people are around. Those who are interested in applying for positions within the field should take the time to get to know the field a bit better so that they know what to expect. In many instances, due to the length of time that it will very likely take to obtain a qualification to start practicing in this field, individuals need to make sure that the position they obtain will be the one that they are willing to work hard to get.
References:
- https://www.apha.org/what-is-public-health
- https://www.cdcfoundation.org/what-public-health
- http://www.fph.org.uk/what_is_public_health
