PROMOTE Health, PROTECT Health, and PREVENT Disease, Injury and
Disability
Healthy People in our Communities
“Public
Health in America” , a document developed by public health associations
and experts
in 1994, outlined the following major responsibilities and essential
services of public health :
Public
Health
·
Prevents
epidemics and the spread of disease
·
Protects
against environmental hazards
·
Prevents
injuries
·
Promotes
and encourages healthy behaviors
·
Responds
to disasters and assists communities in recovery
·
Assures
the quality and accessibility of health services
Essential Public Health
Services
· Monitor health status to identify community health problems
· Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the
community
· Inform, educate, and empower people 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 personal health services and assure the provision of
health when otherwise 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