PUBLIC HEALTH

• In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"
• In 1986, the WHO further clarified health as "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities"
• In 2009, researchers publishing in The Lancet defined health as "the ability of a body to adapt to new threats and infirmities"
• Health is considered a fundamental human right indispensable for the exercise of other human rights, and every human being is entitled to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health conducive to living a life in dignity
• The Alma Ata Declaration in September 1978 was the first international declaration emphasizing the importance of primary health care
• The primary health care approach has been accepted by member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) as the key to achieving the goal of "Health For All", initially in developing countries and later applied to all other countries
• Public health is the practice of preventing disease and promoting good health within groups of people, from small communities to entire countries
• Public health refers to all organized measures, whether public or private, to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole
• Public health is the art and science of promoting health in communities and preventing disease at a global scale, concerned with protecting communities and improving health and safety through policies and practices
• Public health systems are commonly defined as all public, private, and voluntary entities that contribute to the delivery of essential public health services within a jurisdiction
• Several disciplines fall under the umbrella of public health, including education, environmental health, medicine, public policy, social services, and science
• Public health is about the population's health as a whole, dealing with widespread, escalating, and serious health issues considered public health crises
• Scarlet Fever was a devastating public health crisis in 19th century Europe due to overpopulation, overcrowding, and poor hygiene
• Clinical health means the provision of medical, dental, nursing, or other health-related care to patients for their preventive care or for the treatment of disease or injury
• Clinical health is about individuals, not populations, dealing with individual diagnoses, treatments, and procedures
• Public health programs aim to address the triple burden of diseases in the country, including morbidity caused by communicable diseases (CDs), mortality by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and emerging incidence of injuries, mental health, and alcohol and drug abuse
• Communicable diseases (CDs) had been the primary cause of death in the past, but improved sanitation and better access to health technology have reduced their spread
• Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) tend to be of long duration and are largely driven by unhealthy lifestyles such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, exposure to tobacco smoke, and excessive alcohol intake
• Mortality rates from NCDs have doubled over the last 50 years in the Philippines, comprising about 70% of cases among the 10 leading causes of deaths in the country
• About 5 million people worldwide die each year from injuries, with a quarter of these fatalities caused by road traffic injuries
• Accidents have increasingly contributed to the total number of deaths in the Philippines, ranking as the fifth highest among the leading causes in 2014
• The triple burden of disease is a serious public health concern impacting both families and governments, and promoting healthy lifestyles and preventive health measures may be cost-effective solutions
• Improvements in the health system, including effective service delivery network, strategically located health facilities, and adequate human resources, are crucial in addressing this important health concern
• Key factors crucial in addressing important health concerns:

  • Ice delivery network
  • Functional and strategically located health facilities
  • Adequate human resources
• Importance of having an effective health insurance program to complement a strong health system for ensuring access to needed health care
• National Programs Developed:

  • National Immunization Program
  • Women, Men, and Children’s Health Development Programs
  • HIV/AIDS and STI Prevention
  • Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease
  • Integrated Helminth Control
  • Food and Waterborne Diseases Prevention and Control
  • National Dengue Prevention and Control Programs
  • Tuberculosis Control Program
  • Malaria Control
  • Schistosomiasis Control
  • Leprosy Control
  • Filariasis Elimination Programs
  • Rabies Control Program
  • Lifestyle Related Diseases Prevention and Control
  • Essential NCDs Programs
• Core functions of public health assessment:

  1. Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems

  2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community
• Policy development in public health:

  3. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues

  4. Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems

  5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
• Assurance in public health:

  6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety

  7. Link people to needed personal health services and ensure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable

  8. Assure competent public and personal health care workforce

  9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services

  10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems
• Role of pharmacist as public health professionals:

  • Defined by the American Public Health Association (APHA) in 1981
  • Beyond dispensation and distribution of medicines and health supplies
  • Includes administrative and public health functions
  • More patient-oriented
  • Provides services such as pharmacotherapy, care, and prevention measures
  • Acts as a resource for health and medication information
  • Integration of public health customs into pharmaceutical care and pharmacological training is indispensable
• Ways pharmacists can promote public health:

  1. Population-based care

  2. Prevention of disease and medication safety

  3. Health education

  4. Public health policy

  5. Research and training
• In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"
• In 1986, the WHO further clarified health as "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities"
• In 2009, researchers publishing in The Lancet defined health as "the ability of a body to adapt to new threats and infirmities"
• Health is considered a fundamental human right indispensable for the exercise of other human rights, and every human being is entitled to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health conducive to living a life in dignity
• The Alma Ata Declaration in September 1978 was the first international declaration emphasizing the importance of primary health care
• The primary health care approach has been accepted by member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) as the key to achieving the goal of "Health For All", initially in developing countries and later applied to all other countries
• Public health is the practice of preventing disease and promoting good health within groups of people, from small communities to entire countries
• Public health refers to all organized measures, whether public or private, to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole
• Public health is the art and science of promoting health in communities and preventing disease at a global scale