The document outlines the foundations of public health, focusing on its definition, core functions, historical milestones, social determinants, and major global health challenges. It emphasizes the importance of epidemiology, health promotion, disease prevention, ethics, and the interplay between health and environmental factors. Additionally, it discusses the future of public health, emerging trends, and diverse career opportunities in the field.

1. Foundations of Public Health: Building a Healthier World

2. What is Public Health?
● Definition: The science and art of
promoting health, preventing disease, and
prolonging life through organized efforts of
society
● Focus on population-level health rather
than individual health
● Aims to create conditions where people
can be healthy
● Involves a wide range of professions and
disciplines
● How does public health impact your daily
life?

3. Core Functions of Public Health
● 1. Assessment: Monitoring community health status
● 2. Policy Development: Informing, educating, and empowering
people about health issues
● 3. Assurance: Ensuring the provision of health care when
otherwise unavailable
● Can you think of examples for each of these functions in your
community?

4. Historical Milestones in
Public Health
● 1854: John Snow's cholera investigation
(birth of epidemiology)
● 1918: Influenza pandemic
● 1948: Establishment of the World Health
Organization (WHO)
● 1979: Eradication of smallpox
● 2000s: Focus on global health security
and pandemic preparedness
● How have these milestones shaped our
current public health practices?

5. Social Determinants of Health
● Definition: Conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work,
and age
● Examples:
● Education
● Income and wealth
● Housing
● Access to healthcare
● Environmental conditions
● How might these factors influence health outcomes in your
community?

6. The Public Health
Approach
● 1. Define the problem
● 2. Identify risk and protective factors
● 3. Develop and test prevention strategies
● 4. Ensure widespread adoption
● This approach can be applied to various
health issues
● Can you think of a health problem and
how this approach might be used?

7. Epidemiology: The Foundation of Public Health
● Definition: The study of the distribution and determinants of
health-related states or events in specified populations
● Key concepts:
● Incidence and prevalence
● Risk factors
● Study designs (e.g., cohort, case-control)
● How does epidemiology help in decision-making for public health
policies?

8. Health Promotion and
Disease Prevention
● Health promotion: Process of enabling
people to increase control over and
improve their health
● Disease prevention: Measures to prevent
the occurrence of disease and decrease
its consequences
● Levels of prevention:
● 1. Primary: Prevent disease before it
occurs
● 2. Secondary: Detect disease early and
prevent progression
● 3. Tertiary: Reduce the impact of ongoing
illness
● What health promotion activities have you
participated in?

9. Global Health Challenges
● Infectious diseases (e.g., HIV/AIDS, malaria, COVID-19)
● Non-communicable diseases (e.g., heart disease, cancer,
diabetes)
● Environmental health issues (e.g., climate change, air pollution)
● Health inequities and disparities
● Access to healthcare and medicines
● Which of these challenges do you think is most pressing in your
country?

10. Public Health Ethics
● Balancing individual rights and community well-being
● Ethical principles in public health:
● Respect for autonomy
● Beneficence
● Non-maleficence
● Justice
● Case study: Mandatory vaccination programs
● How would you approach this ethical dilemma?

11. Health Systems and
Policy
● Components of health systems:
● 1. Service delivery
● 2. Health workforce
● 3. Health information systems
● 4. Medical products and technologies
● 5. Financing
● 6. Leadership and governance
● Role of policy in shaping public health
outcomes
● How does your country's health system
compare to others?

12. Environmental Health
● Focus on the relationship between human health and the
environment
● Key areas:
● Air quality
● Water safety
● Food safety
● Climate change
● Built environment
● How does your local environment impact your health?

13. Occupational Health
and Safety
● Promoting and maintaining the highest
degree of physical, mental, and social
well-being of workers
● Key issues:
● Workplace hazards
● Ergonomics
● Stress management
● Work-life balance
● What occupational health risks exist in
your desired career field?

14. Maternal and Child Health
● Focus on the health and well-being of women, children, and
families
● Key areas:
● Prenatal care
● Infant and child nutrition
● Immunizations
● Adolescent health
● Why is maternal and child health considered a cornerstone of
public health?

15. Health Communication
and Education
● Importance of effective communication in
public health
● Strategies:
● Mass media campaigns
● Community outreach
● Health literacy programs
● Social media and digital platforms
● How can public health messages be
tailored to reach diverse populations?

16. Emergency Preparedness and Response
● Planning for and responding to public health emergencies
● Types of emergencies:
● Natural disasters
● Disease outbreaks
● Bioterrorism
● Key components:
● 1. Surveillance and detection
● 2. Risk communication
● 3. Rapid response teams
● 4. Coordination with multiple sectors
● What lessons can we learn from recent public health
emergencies?

17. One Health Approach
● Collaborative effort of multiple disciplines
working locally, nationally, and globally
● Aims to achieve optimal health for:
● People
● Animals
● Environment
● Examples: Zoonotic diseases,
antimicrobial resistance
● How does the One Health approach
reflect the interconnectedness of our
world?

18. Health Informatics and Technology
● Use of information technology to improve health care delivery
and public health practice
● Applications:
● Electronic health records
● Disease surveillance systems
● Telemedicine
● Mobile health (mHealth) apps
● How might emerging technologies shape the future of public
health?

19. Public Health Research
● Importance of evidence-based practice in public health
● Types of research:
● Descriptive studies
● Analytical studies
● Intervention studies
● Challenges:
● Ethical considerations
● Funding
● Translation of research into practice
● Why is ongoing research crucial for advancing public health?

20. Future of Public Health
● Emerging trends:
● Precision public health
● Big data and artificial intelligence
● Climate change adaptation
● Global health security
● Challenges and opportunities
● How can you contribute to shaping the future of public health?

21. Careers in Public Health
● Diverse range of opportunities:
● Epidemiologist
● Health educator
● Environmental health specialist
● Biostatistician
● Health policy advisor
● Interdisciplinary nature of the field
● Which area of public health interests you most and why?