Overview of Public Health*

What are the goals of public health?

• Prevent epidemics and the spread of disease
• Protect against environmental hazards
• Prevent injuries
• Promote and encourage healthy behaviors
• Respond to disasters and assist communities in recovery
• Assure the quality and accessibility of health services

What are the ten essential public health services?

1. Monitor health status to identify community health problems;
2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community;
3. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues;
4. Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems;
5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts;
6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety;
7. Link people to needed personal health services and ensure the provision of health care when it is otherwise unavailable;
8. Ensure the availability of competent public health and personal health care workforce;
9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services;
10. Research new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.

* Public Health Functions Steering Committee, 1994 (Members include: American Public Health Association, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, Association of Schools of Public Health, Public Health Foundation, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, U.S. Public Health Service)