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Chapter one
Introduction to Public Health 1/31/2024
Endale .A (Bsc,GMPH)
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Outline
• Definition of teams
• Features of public health
• Core Functions of public health
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Definition of Terms
Health
• Can be defined from lay point of view, professional, World Health
Organization (WHO).
• Lay Point of view: Persons are healthy when they are doing
their activities with no apparent symptoms of disease in them.
• The New oxford Dictionary of English describes health as ‘the
state of being free from illness or injury.
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Definition of Health
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Professional points of view: From this point, health is defined
as a measure of the state of the physical bodily Organs, and the
ability of the body as a whole to function. It refers to freedom from
medically defined diseases.
WHO definition: “A state of complete physical, mental, and
social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity”.
some other dimensions like spiritual, emotional may also be
included.
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Physical health:-
• Is concerned with anatomical integrity and physiological
functioning of the body. It means the ability to perform routine
tasks without any physical restriction. E.g., Physical fitness is
needed to walk from place to place.
Mental Health:-
• Is the ability to learn and think clearly and coherently?
• E.g., a person who is not mentally fit (retarded) could not learn
something new at a pace in which an ordinary normal person
learns.
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Social health:-
• Is the ability to make and maintain acceptable interaction with
other people?
• E.g. to celebrate during festivals; to mourn when a close family
member dies; to create and maintain friendship and intimacy, etc.
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Think, pair and share
• What makes WHO definition different from the other
definition of health?
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Perspectives on health
Health is one of the fundamental rights of every human
being without distinction of race, religion, political belief,
economic or social condition”.
Health as an important individual objective of material aspect i.e.
as consumption good.
Considers health as an investment,
indicates health as an important prerequisite for
development because of its consequence on the overall
production through its effect on the productive ability of the
productive force.
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Public Health
In 1923 A. Winslow defined public health as:
"the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and
promoting physical health and mental health and efficiency;
• through organized efforts and informed choices of society,
organizations, public & private communities and individuals”.
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Key Terms in the definition
• Health Promotion: is a guiding concept involving activities
intended to enhance individual and community health well-
being.
• It acts to improve health and social welfare, and to reduce
specific determinants of diseases and risk factors that
adversely affect the health, well-being, and productive capacities
of an individual or society
• Raising awareness and informing people about health and
lifestyle factors that might put them at risk requires teaching.
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Key terms…..
• Prevention: refers to preserve, and to restore health when it is
impaired, and to minimize suffering and distress.
There are three levels of prevention:
What are the three levels of disease prevention ??
• Primary Prevention refers to those activities that are
Undertaken to prevent the disease and injury from occurring.
It may be directed at the host, to increase resistance to the
agent (such as immunization or cessation of smoking), or may
be directed at environmental activities to reduce conditions
favorable to the vector for a biological agent, such as mosquito
vectors of malaria.
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Key terms…..
• Secondary Prevention is the early diagnosis and management
to prevent complications from a disease.
• It includes steps to isolate cases and treat or immunize contacts to
prevent further epidemic outbreaks.
• Tertiary Prevention involves activities directed at the
host but also at the environment in order to promote
rehabilitation, restoration, and maintenance of maximum
function after the disease and its complications have stabilized.
• Providing a wheelchair, special toilet facilities, doors, ramps, and
transportation services for paraplegics are often the most vital
factors for rehabilitation.
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Important features of public health
1. Social justice; is the central pillar
2. Inherently Political nature
3. Expanding agenda
4. Link with government
5. Grounded in science
6. It focuses on prevention
7. Uncommon culture
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1. Social justice philosophy
Justice indicates fairness
• In distribution of benefits and burdens
Factors that impede the fair distribution of benefits and burdens:
• social class, racism, disability, etc..
To neutralize the unfairness collective action is needed.
Public health works to overcome those impediments.
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2. Inherently political nature
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Public Health is both public and political in nature
– It serves population
– Issues to be considered, negotiated to make decision
– Differing values & perspectives as to both the ends to be
achieved & the means for achieving those ends
The social justice component
- stimulates political conflict
Governmental public health agencies
- frequently caught in the middle.
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3. Expanding Agendas
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Prior to 1900
infectious diseases and related environmental risks.
After 1900,
-include problems and needs of children and mothers
Middle of the century
chronic disease prevention
Later
substance abuse, violence, injuries
Recently
Bioterrorism, other disaster preparedness
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4. Linked with government
Public health is linked with government in two ways:
1. Issuing policies that govern the health of the population
2. Directly provide programs and services that are designed to
meet the health needs of the population
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5. Grounded in science
Basic science of PH are identified:
Epidemiology
biostatics
Environmental science
management sciences
behavioral sciences
Nutrition and
Maternal and Child Health
Epidemiology and biostatics are essential tools of public health
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6. Focus on prevention
Prevention is the purpose of PH & is aimed at preventing:
Disease
Deaths
Hospital admissions
Days lost from school and work
consumption of human and fiscal resources; etc
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Core functions of public health
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Core Functions
Assessment
Policy Development
Assurance
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Assessment 1/31/2024
Every public health agency regularly and systematically collect,
assemble, analyze, and make available information on the
health of the community
Such information include:
statistics on health status,
community health needs, and
epidemiological and other studies of health problems.
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Policy development 1/31/2024
• PH agency exercise its responsibility to serve the public
interest in the development of comprehensive public health
policies by:
Promoting use of the scientific knowledge base in decision-
making about public health and Leading in developing public
health policy.
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Assurance 1/31/2024
PH agencies assure their constituents that services necessary to
achieve agreed upon goals are provided by:
• Encouraging actions by other entities (private or public sector)
• Requiring such action through regulation or
• Providing service directly
