Essential Public Health Services/Highlights of Public Health
The Ten Essential Public Health Services**
- Monitor health status to identify community health problems
- Investigate health problems in the population
- Inform, educate, and empower the population about health issues
- Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems
- Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
- Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
- Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when unavailable
- Assure a competent public health and personal health care workforce
- Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services
- Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems
Highlights of Public Health
- 1878 Congress enacts a federal law to prevent the introduction of contagious and infectious diseases into the US, later extending it to prevent the spread of diseases among the states.
- 1906 Federal Pure Food and Drugs Law enacted (pasteurization, reduction of food borne pathogens, refrigeration, sanitation).
- 1912 Congress establishes the Public Health Service. Authority granted to study the “diseases of man and conditions affecting the propagation and spread thereof”.
- Eradication of diseases (smallpox, polio in US).
- Tuberculosis, Diphtheria and diarrheal diseases have dropped off the list of the top fifteen killers.
- Effectiveness of immunizations results in reductions of more than 99% for diseases including tetanus, rubella and pertussis.
- Responsible for 25 of the 30 year increase in life expectancy from 47 years in 1900 to 80 years today.
- Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke.
- During 1915-1997, the infant mortality declined more than 90 percent and the maternal mortality rate has declined by 99%.
- Identifying and correcting occupational health hazards.
- Clean water and air.
- Standards set in biological and pharmaceutical products.
- Codes established for hygienic or technological practice.
- Motor Vehicle Safety (use of seat belts and child safety car seats).
**Source: Public Health Functions Steering Committee
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