Public health

By: Alternix

Definitions and Purposes

Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health.
It involves organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, communities, and individuals.
Health encompasses physical, psychological, and social well-being.
The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
Public health aims to improve the health of populations and increase life expectancy.

Public health is related to global health, which focuses on the health of populations worldwide.
International health deals with health across regional or national boundaries.
Public health is distinct from public healthcare, which refers to publicly funded health care.
Preventive medicine is a field related to public health and focuses on disease prevention.
Population health is a concept within public health that aims to improve the health of entire populations.

Public health is a multidisciplinary field that includes epidemiology, biostatistics, and social sciences.
Other important sub-fields include environmental health, community health, and behavioral health.
It also encompasses health economics, public policy, mental health, and health education.
Occupational safety, disability, gender issues in health, and sexual and reproductive health are relevant areas.
Modern public health practice requires multidisciplinary teams of professionals from various disciplines.

The purpose of public health interventions is to prevent and mitigate diseases, injuries, and other health conditions.
The overall goal is to improve the health of populations and increase life expectancy.
Common public health initiatives include promoting hand-washing, vaccination, and breastfeeding.
Other interventions focus on improving air quality, suicide prevention, smoking cessation, and obesity education.
Public health also involves increasing healthcare accessibility and distributing condoms to control sexually transmitted diseases.

There is a significant disparity in access to healthcare and public health initiatives between developed and developing countries.
Developing countries often lack trained healthcare workers, resources, and knowledge for basic medical care and disease prevention.
Poor maternal and child health is a major concern in developing countries, exacerbated by malnutrition and poverty.
Historically, public health initiatives have been implemented by different stakeholders, such as army generals, clergy, or rulers.
Great Britain played a leading role in the development of public health initiatives in the 19th century.

Reference	URL
Glossary	https://www.alternix.com/blogs/glossary-of-terms/public-health
Wikipedia	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_health
Wikidata	https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189603
Knowledge Graph	https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/02cm61