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Public health plays an important role in implementing health policy, enforcing public health laws, ensuring equitable development of and access to public health efforts, and creating a public health workforce that continually assesses and improves upon public health programs. Let's take a closer look.

What is public health's role? 

What is public health's role in society? Public health is any effort to protect the health of a community or country. This includes organized efforts to identify and address disease, promote healthy lifestyles, prevent injuries and illness, improve nutrition and emphasize meaningful hygiene. Public health efforts are enacted at local, state and national levels through such organizations as health departments, clinics, public health foundations and community centers.

Public health can promote simple wellness strategies, such as hydration and adequate sleep. More frequently, however, it represents a coordinated effort to protect the health of an entire group of people. For example, an organization might distribute safe drinking water to a community recovering from a natural disaster.

What is public health's importance for a community?

Public health professionals fulfill many roles in defining what is public health. Among other important duties, healthcare experts work to protect communal health. This means keeping a society healthy and informed regarding physical or mental health threats.

Community health is a massive ecosystem that involves many disciplines. Each plays a key role. Nurses and doctors may be the most visible frontline professionals, but plenty of people work behind the scenes to leverage data and information to influence public policy.

Consider the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts leveraged wastewater data and hospitalization totals to make policy decisions regarding masks, business operations and school closures.

Sometimes, public health officials can help prevent disease outbreaks. Other times, public health efforts focus on assisting rural communities, implementing education programs and completing preparatory research projects.

What is public health's role to help resolve health disparities?

Public health also addresses health disparities caused by socioeconomic factors. Workers in this field can help identify and address concerns specific populations face. Examples include programs to address the lack of healthy food options, which occurs more frequently in lower-income neighborhoods; creating cooling stations in urban “heat islands” for those without air conditioning; or providing mobile breast screening or vaccination options in rural areas with less access to healthcare.

No matter the type of outreach, it should contribute directly to the greater good of society.

The answer to "what is public health?" lies in its focus on improving the quality of life through preventive care and education. Another way to look at it? Officials in the public health sector provide advice and direction intended to drive health forward, reducing pressure on medical facilities and the cost of medical care to society. Public health officials also ensure we are equipped to react appropriately in the face of a health crisis.

Public health professionals accomplish this in a variety of ways. Consider the following components:

Public health research 

Public health officials wear many hats, but one core function is to monitor the health of the population. Take  for example. The disease has not been prevalent in the population for many years, but when it does crop up again, public health experts need to identify it quickly to prevent further spread.

The next step in disease prevention is to make health research accessible and available to the general population, which is something public health officials are responsible for.

From there, research in public health may focus on creating evidence-based solutions to concerning trends. In the case of a measles outbreak, developing educational programs and setting up vaccine clinics are some ways public health research might be put into action.

Throughout, it’s critical to ensure research includes all population groups so that the application of solutions or preventive measures is equally inclusive and effective.

Efficacy informs the third branch of public health research. Once professionals identify a disease or trend and develop a program or outreach to address it, they must observe how well the solution addresses the problem. 

Public health communication 

Another major component of public health work is strong communication. Effective public health communication starts with addressing what is public health and why it matters to the well-being of communities.  It’s not enough to research issues. Officials must also share those findings with the public, and that can occur in many different channels, ranging from community events and announcements to digital advertising and local news.

Health professionals must ensure the information is timely and accurate; if it takes too long to get out, it might be outdated and the opportunity to prevent harm may be lost. Information also needs to be proactive and give instructions on how to act.

Public health organizations fulfill a wide variety of responsibilities. They protect society from disease, illness and other health-related challenges, and many make sizable research contributions in individual fields.

The following organizations are dedicated to public health:

• : A U.S. government agency that maintains biomedical research on several diseases with a global focus.
• : The official health agency of the U.S. government, which works to prevent disease and illness.
• : An agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services dedicated to advancing behavioral health.
• : A United Nations agency that sets parameters for controlling disease, developing and distributing medicine, and serving vulnerable populations.
• : A nonprofit organization started by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, that is dedicated to promoting international peace and health efforts.
• : An organization that works to shape public policy pertaining to public health, with areas of concern that include funding and access to care.

These and other public health organizations at the national, state and local levels work to improve the lives of people around the world. They employ public health professionals to relay research findings, messages and health updates to the public.

Public health education

Depending on one’s experience and educational background, some public health careers can be more attainable than others. , for example, may only need a high school diploma, although a bachelor’s degree in health or health-related fields may help or be required.

Other examples of entry-level roles are public health educators and community program coordinators.

If you’re pursuing leadership roles in public health, a Master of Public Health (MPH) can help teach skills and behaviors necessary to influence public health in a positive way. ������Ƶ’s online MPH degree program focuses on community health leadership and can be completed within 19 months. It’s a flexible education that enables individuals to take one course at a time, which is perfect for those who want to pursue their education while working or meeting other commitments. 

What is public health education?

What is public health education like? If you're interested in learning more about this and many other areas of healthcare, ������Ƶ offers several flexible, online programs:

• Bachelor of Science in Health Management
• Master of Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Leadership
• Master of Health Administration/Master of Business Administration

Contact ������Ƶ for more information.