HEALTH Health is defined by World Health Organization as, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and...
HEALTH
Health is defined by World Health Organization
as, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (1). Various authors describe the
components of health falling into five and six major categories. These include
i.
Physical
ii.
Emotional
iii.
Social
iv.
Environmental
v.
Mental
vi.
Spiritual
These all focuses on balance in
each component so an individual becomes or feels healthy.
The features of health not only
as well-being but also as a balanced state, growth, functionality, completeness,
transcendence, and empowerment and as a resource (2).
The food we eat, levels of
physical activity, exposure to tobacco smoke, social interactions, the
environment in which we live, and many other factors ultimately affect our
health or lack thereof. The health of individuals as well as the health of our
communities reflects the unique combination of biological, psychological, social,
intellectual, and spiritual components as well as the cultural, economic, and
political environment in which we live (3).
Public Health
Public Health can be defined as,
“Organized community efforts designed for the prevention of disease and the
promotion of health”.
According to World Health Organization,
Public health refers to all organized measures (whether public or private) to
prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a
whole. Its activities aim to provide settings in which public can be healthy
and emphasis on whole populations, not on individual patients or diseases.
The effort of public health
intervention is to improve health and quality of life through prevention and
treatment of disease. This is done through promotion of healthy behaviors.
Examples of common public health measures include promotion of hand washing,
breastfeeding, delivery of vaccinations, and distribution of condoms to control
the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (4)
Functions of Public Health
A. The assessment and monitoring of the health of communities and
populations at risk to identify health problems and priorities.
B. The formulation of public policies designed to solve identified
local and national health problems and priorities.
C. To assure that all populations have access to appropriate and
cost-effective care, including health promotion and disease prevention services
(5).
The components which make
public health as core components are
A.
Epidemiology
B.
Statistics
C.
Bio-medical
sciences
D.
Environmental
sciences
E.
Social and
Behavioral sciences
Modern public
health practice requires multidisciplinary teams of public health workers and
professionals including
·
physicians specializing in
public health/community medicine/infectious disease,
·
psychologists,
·
epidemiologists,
·
biostatisticians,
·
medical assistants or
Assistant Medical Officers, public health nurses,
·
midwives,
·
medical microbiologists,
·
environmental health
officers / public health inspectors,
·
pharmacists,
·
dental hygienists,
·
dietitians and
nutritionists,
·
veterinarians,
·
public health engineers,
·
public health lawyers,
·
sociologists,
·
community development
workers,
·
communications experts,
·
bioethicists, and others
REFERENCES
1. Organization WH. Constitution. 1989.
2. Arnold J,
Janssen Breen L. Images of health. Health promotion in practice. 2006:3-30.
3. Fertman CI,
Allensworth DD, Auld ME. What are health promotion programs. Health Promotion
Programs: From Theory to Practice. 2010:3-28.
4. WikiPedia.
Public health 2015 [cited 2015 14 Dec ]. Available from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_health.
5. WHO. Public Health 2015 [cited 2015 14 Dec ]. Available
from: http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story076/en/.