Public health – This book covers the entire syllabus of “Community Health Nursing” prescribed by the Universities of Bangladesh- for Basic and diploma nursing students. We tried to accommodate latest information and topics.
This book is examination friendly setup according to the teachers’ lectures and examination’s questions. At the end of the book previous university questions are given. We hope in touch with the book students’ knowledge will be upgraded and flourished. The unique way of presentation may make your reading of the book a pleasurable experience.
Public health
Public health
According to C.E. A Winslow-( The WHO expert committee in 1920)”The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health and efficiency through organized community efforts for the sanitation-of the environment, to control of communicable diseases, education of the individual in personal hygiene,
the organization of medical and nursing services for the early diagnosis and preventive treatment of disease and the development of social machinery to ensure every individual a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health, so organizing these benefits as to enable every citizen to realize his birth right of health and ‘longevity.
Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases.
Aims and objectives of public health
Objectives of public health:
- Control of physical environment Control of communicable infection.
- Prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of chronic diseases and behavioral disorder.
- To improve the efficacy and health care delivery system.
- To make maximum utilization of available resources to ensure health for all, by 2005AD.
Aims of public health:
- Promotion of health.
- Restoration of distorted health.
- Prevention of disease.
- Prolongation of life expectancy
Changing concept of public health
Four phases of public health:
a) Disease control phase (1880-1920)
b) Health promotional phase (1920-1960)
c) Social engineering phase (1960-1980)
d) Health for all phase (1980-2000AD)
A. Disease control phase (1880-1920):
Goal: Control of disease.
Aims: Control of man’s physical environment.
Target:
- To provide clean and safe water.
- To provide clean surrounding.
- To provide wholesome condition of house.
- To control offensive trades
Approach:
- Regulatory approach: e.g. sanitary legislation.
- Service approach: e.g. disinfection of water and disposal of excreta,
- Educational approach: Cleanliness.
B. Health promotional phased 920-1960):
Goal: Promotion of individual as well as community health.
Aims:
- To decrease mortality and morbidity
- To increase life expectancy.
Approach:
1. Personal approach :
- Mother and child health services (MCH)
- School health services (SHS)
- Industrial health services (IHS)
- Mental health and rehabilitation services
2. Community development programmed :
- Immunization.
- Provision of adequate food and proper nutrition.
3. Social engineering phase (1960-1980) :
Goals:
- Prevention of disease
- Promotion of health
- Prolongation of life
Aims: Prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of chronic diseases and behavioral disorder.
Approach:
- Health education.
- Modification of life style and human behavior.
4. Health for All phase-n980-2000AD):
Attainment by all the people of the world by the year 2000AD of a level of health that will permit them to lead a socially and economically productive life.
Main themes of health for all:
- Equity of health
- Universal coverage
- Community participation
Targets:
- Integration between health and health related sectors.
- Provision of right kind of food.
- Provision of essential drugs.
- Providing adequate supply of drinking water.
- Providing adequate basic sanitation.
- Imminunization of children against six common disease.
Public health emergency
Any incidence which causes break down of public health by any means is called public health emergency. Public-health emergency varies from country to country according to the socio- economic conditions of that country.
As for example, if a single case of cholera is found in USA that is the public-health emergency for USA but not for Bangladesh.
Examples:
- Any epidemic outbreak.
- Natural calamities, i.e. cyclone, flood etc.
- Accidents e.g. serious road transport accident.
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