Introduction To Global Public Health; Principles And Concepts Of Health And Public Health

Public Health Topic Overview: The origins of principles and concepts of health and public health What is Public Health? Public health has been defined as the science and art of preventing disease and promoting health through organised societal efforts (McKee, 2011). Public health is a multidisciplinary field that aims to prevent illness at the population level rather than treating the disease at the individual level as is the focus of medicine (Aschengrau, 2003). Activities that are central to public health include assessments of a populations health status, identification of health problems and their causes, and the design of solutions to address these problems. Solutions usually include interventions at the level of communities such as educational programs to prevent young people from starting smoking, screening programs to detect cancers at an early stage, and passing laws to prevent traffic accidents such as requiring the wearing of seat belts (Aschengrau, 2003). At the age of globalisation, mastering the art of public health is paramount for effectively tackling public health challenges. Sustainable public health, in particular, is more important than ever in the 21st century. Sustainable public health involves protecting not only the health of the current generation but also of future generations