What Is Public Health?
Preventing disease. Clean air and water. Cost-effective healthcare. These are just a few examples of effective public health efforts.
Public health is changing the world in action, protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles and researching disease and injury prevention.
Rather than treating someone in a hospital, public health focuses on keeping entire populations healthy before they get sick. Public health officials work everyday–in local health departments, universities and community organizations–to:
- Prevent pollution of air and land
- Control/prevent infectious disease and outbreaks
- Reduce death and disability due to injuries
- Evaluate and make communities safer
- Educate at-risk populations
- Evaluates the effectiveness of interventions
Careers in public health include:
- Restaurant inspectors
- Community health workers
- Nutritionists
- Health educators
- Scientists and researchers
- Disease investigators
- Social workers
- Policymakers
- First responders
- Biostatisticians
Want to know more?
Visit the What is Public Health website for interesting information about the field of public health and public health careers.
There has never been a more exciting time to pursue a career in public health!