Role of public health approaches.
Cards (13)
- Public health approaches play a crucial role in improving regional and national population health in the UK through a combination of prevention and improvement initiatives.
- These approaches focus on promoting health and well-being, preventing diseases, and addressing health disparities at a population level.
- The World Health Organisation AKA The WHO
- The World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to achieve better health for all.
- By connecting countries and people, they strive to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. International. 194 countries involved
- The National Institute
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care.
- NICE is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.
- What can contribute to a health issue/increase the risk of it occurring?Obesity, inactive, air pollution, smoking, drug abuse, poor hosing conditions, hygiene, race, religion, learning difficulties, mindset, medication, PTSD, underweight, weak immune system, Diabetes, drinking, mould, genetics, location, gender, mental health, pain tolerance, unprotected sex, financial.
- Disease Prevention:
- Public health initiatives in the UK focus on preventing diseases and promoting healthy behaviors.
- This includes vaccination programs, screening for conditions like cancer and diabetes, and promoting healthy lifestyle choices such as smoking cessation, healthy eating, and physical activity.
- Health Education:
- Public health campaigns provide information and education to the public about various health issues.
- These campaigns aim to increase awareness and understanding of health risks, which empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their health.
- Environmental Health:
- Public health approaches address environmental factors that can impact health.
- This includes monitoring and regulating air and water quality, as well as ensuring safe food and sanitation. These efforts reduce the risk of environmental hazards affecting the population.
- Healthcare Access and Equity:
- Public health initiatives in the UK work towards ensuring equal access to healthcare services for all citizens.
- Efforts to reduce health disparities include targeting resources to disadvantaged communities and populations to improve overall health equity.
- Health Promotion:
- Public health programs promote healthy behaviors and lifestyles. This involves encouraging regular exercise, a balanced diet, and reducing substance abuse.
- These initiatives aim to reduce the burden of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
- Monitoring and Surveillance:
- Public health agencies in the UK collect and analyze health data to monitor disease trends, identify emerging health threats, and assess the impact of various interventions.
- This information is critical for evidence-based decision-making and the allocation of resources.
- Research and Data Collection:
- Public health research helps identify emerging health challenges and develop new solutions.
- This includes studying the effectiveness of health interventions and contributing to the development of new vaccines and treatments.
- Examples of policies and initiatives that the UK government has implemented to reduce health inequalities:
- Healthy Start Program
- Sugar Tax
- Smoke-free
- NHS Health Checks
- Universal Credit
- Child Poverty
- Mental Health Services
- Screening
- Social Housing
- Benefits of promoting public health: more exposure for illnesses, more fear of unhealthy choices, updated knowledge, cheaper, more awareness, easier to access, more specialised doctors, improves health status, healthier lifestyle, less fear around illness, less time off schoolwork, less stigma.