Unit 1

Public Health: Definition and Concept

Dr. Rajesh Agrawal

Associate Professor, MBICEM
 Public Health: Definitions
“Public health is the art and science of preventing
disease, prolonging life, and promoting health and
efficiency through organised community efforts for the
sanitation of the environment, the control of community
infections, the education of individuals, in principles of
personal hygiene, the organisation of medical and
nursing services for the early diagnosis and prevention
of disease, and the development of social machinery,
which will ensure to every individual of the community,
a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of
health, so organising these benefits as to enable every
citizen to realise his birth right of health and longevity”.
 Public Health: Definitions
“Public health consists of organized efforts to
improve the health of communities. The operative
components of this definition are that public health
efforts are organized and directed to communities
rather than to individuals. Public health practice does
not rely on a specific body of knowledge and
expertise but rather relies on a combination of science
and social approaches. The definition of public health
reflects its central goal – the reduction of disease and
the improvement of health in a community.”
- Defining public health historical and contemporary
development
 Public Health: Concept
Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the
communities where they live, learn, work and play.
wellness by encouraging healthy behaviours
public health assures the conditions to keep people healthy.
vaccinating children and adults to prevent the spread of disease
educating people about the risks of alcohol and tobacco.
sets safety standards to protect workers and
develops school nutrition programs to keep kids healthy
incorporates environmental health, community health,
behavioural health, health economics, public policy, insurance
medicine, mental health and occupational safety and health are
other important subfields.
Public health saves money, improves our quality of life, helps
children thrive and reduces human suffering.
 Functions of Public Health
Prevent diseases and injuries.
Promote healthy lifestyles and good health
habits.
Identify, measure, monitor, and anticipate the
health needs of community.
Formulate, promote, and enforce essential
health policies.
Organise and ensure high-quality and cost-
effective public health and health care services.
Reduce health disparities and ensure access to
healthcare for all.
 Functions of Public Health
Promote and protect a healthy environment.
Disseminate health information and mobilise
communities to take appropriate action to maintain
their health.
Plan and prepare for natural and man-made disasters.
Reduce interpersonal violence and aggressive wars.
Conduct research and evaluate health-promoting and
disease preventing strategies.
Develop new methodologies for research and
evaluation.
Train and ensure a competent public health workforce.
 Public Health Policy in India
National Health Policy 1983
(i) A phased, time-bound programme for setting up a well dispersed
network of comprehensive primary health care services, linked with
extension and health education, designed in the context of the ground
reality that elementary health problems can be resolved by the people
themselves;
(ii) Intermediation through ‘Health volunteers’ having appropriate
knowledge, simple skills and requisite technologies;
(iii) Establishment of a well-worked out referral system to ensure
that patient load at the higher levels of the hierarchy is not needlessly
burdened by those who can be treated at the decentralized level;
(iv) An integrated network of evenly spread speciality and super-
speciality services; encouragement of such facilities through private
investments for patients who can pay, so that the draw on the
Government’s facilities is limited to those entitled for free use.
 Public Health Policy
National Health Policy 2002
To achieve an acceptable standard of good health amongst the general
population of the country. The approach would be to increase access to the
decentralized public health system by establishing new infrastructure in
deficient areas, and by upgrading the infrastructure in the existing
institutions.
to ensuring a more equitable access to health services across the social
and geographical expanse of the country.
to increasing the aggregate public health investment through a
substantially increased contribution by the Central Government.
to preventive and first-line curative initiatives at the primary health level
through increased sectoral share of allocation.
Emphasis laid on rational (logical) use of drugs within the allopathic
system.
Increased access to tried and tested systems of traditional medicine will
be ensured.
 Public Health Policy
National Health Policy 2015
The primary aim of the National Health Policy, 2015 is
to-
inform, clarify, strengthen and prioritize the role of the
government in shaping health systems in all its
dimensions- investment in health
organization and financing of healthcare services,
prevention of diseases and
promotion of good health through cross sectoral action,
access to technologies,
developing human resources,
encouraging medical pluralism,
building the knowledge base required for better health,
financial protection strategies and
 Public Health Programs
National Health Mission (NHM): It include health system
strengthening in rural and urban areas, Reproductive-
Maternal-Neonatal-Child and Adolescent Health
(RMNCH+A) and Communicable and Non-Communicable
Diseases.
The NHM envisages achievement of universal access to
equitable, affordable & quality healthcare services that are
accountable and responsive to people’s needs.
The National Health Mission (NHM) encompasses its two
Sub-Missions,
1) The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and
2) The National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
 Major Public Health Programs
Maternal and Adolescent Healthcare
Child Health Programme
Disease Control Programmes
National Leprosy Eradication Programme
The Revised National TB Control Programme
National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme
Family Planning
National Programme For Prevention And Control Of
Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio Vascular Disease And Stroke
National Tobacco Control Programme
National Mental Health Programme
 Major Public Health Programs
National Programme for Control of Blindness
National Programme For Prevention And Control Of
Deafness
National Programme For Prevention & Control Of
Fluorosis
National Programme For Healthcare Of The Elderly
National Oral Health Programme
Capacity Building For Development Trauma Care
Facilities In Government Hospitals
National Programme On Prevention And
Management Of Burn Injuries
 Major Public Health Programs
Food Fortification (enriching nutritious food)
National Organ Transplant Programme
National Commission on Population
Adverse Child Sex-Ratio in India (age group of 0-6
years – as per 2011, 918 girls against 1000 boys)
 Central Government Health Scheme
The Information, Education & Communication
Gender Issues (discrimination between male and
female access to nutritious food and medical access)
National Aids Control Organization
 Public Health Professionals or workers
Modern public health practice requires multidisciplinary
teams of public health workers and professionals including -
physicians specializing in public health, specialist doctors,
psychologists, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, medical
assistants or Assistant Medical Officers, Health educators.
Scientists and researchers, public health nurses, midwives,
medical microbiologists, environmental health officers,
public health inspectors, pharmacists, dentists, dieticians,
and nutritionists, veterinarians, public health engineers,
public health lawyers, sociologists, community planners,
community development workers, communications experts,
social workers, health safety professionals, public policy
makers, sanitarians, bioethicists, and others.
 Role of Public Health Professionals

to prevent problems from happening or recurring

through implementing educational programs,
recommending policies, administering services and
conducting research –
clinical professionals like doctors and nurses focuses
primarily on treating individuals after they become sick
or injured.
also works to limit health disparities.
promoting healthcare equity, quality and accessibility.