Related topics: swine flu , obesity , infectious diseases , vaccine , alcohol
Public health
hidePublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals." (1920, C.E.A. Winslow)[citation needed] It is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health analysis. The population in question can be as small as a handful of people or as large as all the inhabitants of several continents (for instance, in the case of a pandemic). Public health is typically divided into epidemiology, biostatistics and health services. Environmental, social, behavioral, and occupational health are also important subfields.
There are 2 distinct characteristics of public health:
1. It deals with preventive rather than curative aspects of health 2. It deals with population-level, rather than individual-level health issues
The focus of public health intervention is to prevent rather than treat a disease through surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behaviors. In addition to these activities, in many cases treating a disease may be vital to preventing it in others, such as during an outbreak of an infectious disease. Hand washing, vaccination programs and distribution of condoms are examples of public health measures.
The goal of public health is to improve lives through the prevention and treatment of disease. The United Nations' World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
For more information about Public health, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with public health
Poor face greater health burden than smokers or the obese
Dec 22, 2009 |
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The average low-income person loses 8.2 years of perfect health, the average high school dropout loses 5.1 years, and the obese lose 4.2 years, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. ...
Poll finds drop in public concern about swine flu
Dec 22, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A new Harvard poll finds that concern about swine flu has waned along with the number of new cases being reported.
Poll finds 3/4 of parents who tried to get H1N1 vaccine for their children have gotten it
Dec 22, 2009 |
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A new poll by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) shows the shortage of H1N1 vaccine for children is easing. As of late last week, three-quarters of parents who tried to get the vaccine for their children ...
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US Senate votes on landmark health bill
Dec 24, 2009 |
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Senators gave Barack Obama a huge political boost on Thursday by passing a sweeping remake of the US health care system that aims to extend coverage to 31 million uninsured Americans.
What connects the elderly and sports people? Smart sensor technology
Dec 24, 2009 |
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Innovative smart sensing devices promise to boost mobility and quality of life for the elderly, reduce healthcare costs and even give sports people an edge through more effective training.
Study: Swine flu poses a threat to new moms
Dec 23, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Swine flu is not only dangerous to pregnant women, but it's a threat to new mothers too, the first study to document this risk shows. An analysis of pregnant women and new mothers who were hospitalized with swine ...
New study shows rise in drug resistance of dangerous infection in US hospitals
Dec 23, 2009 |
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A new study in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology reports a surge in drug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter, a dangerous type of bacteria that is becoming increasingly common in U.S. hospitals. This ...
Birds Play an Important Role in the Spread of Lyme Disease
Dec 23, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The range of Lyme disease is spreading in North America and it appears that birds play a significant role by transporting the Lyme disease bacterium over long distances, a new study by the Yale School of ...
Soil studies reveal rise in antibiotic resistance
Dec 23, 2009 |
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Antibiotic resistance in the natural environment is rising despite tighter controls over our use of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, Newcastle University scientists have found.
2/3 of Australians unlikely to get vaccinated against swine flu
Dec 23, 2009 |
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Australia risks a serious swine flu (H1N1 influenza virus) outbreak with two-thirds (65 per cent) of unprotected Australians stating they're unlikely to get vaccinated against the disease in the next 12 months, according ...
Britain bans 'legal high' drugs
Dec 23, 2009 |
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Britain banned several drugs known as "legal highs" Wednesday amid mounting public concern about their health risks.
Physician-assisted suicide: A perspective from advocates for people with disability
Dec 23, 2009 |
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Although public opinion in the United States on physician-assisted suicide is evenly divided, about half of states have either defeated bills to legalize assisted suicide or have passed laws explicitly banning it and only ...
Adverse consequences of obesity may be greater than previously thought
Dec 23, 2009 |
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The link between obesity and cardiovascular mortality may be substantially underestimated, while some of the adverse consequences of being underweight may be overstated, concludes a study published in the British Medical ...
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