L1.6: Public Health Functions

• 10 Essential Public Health Functions

  • These health functions are categorized into three groups.
  • Assessment
  • Policy Development
  • Assurance
• • This acts as a framework to protect and promote health for all people, and remove systemic barriers that resulted in health inequity such as:
  • Poverty
  • Racism
  • Gender Discrimination
  • Other forms of oppression
  • All these functions center towards equity


  10 Essential Public Health Functions
• Assessment

  • [1] Assess and monitor population health status, factors that influence health, and community needs and assets.
  • [2] Investigate, diagnose, and address health problems and hazards.
• Policy Development

  • [3] Communicate effectively to inform and educate people about health, factors that influence it, and how to improve it.
  • [4] Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health.
  • [5] Create, champion, and implement policies, plans, and laws that impact health.
  • [6] Utilize legal and regulatory actions designed to improve and protect the public’s health.
• Assurance

  • [7] Assure an effective system that enables equitable access to the individual services and care needed to be healthy.
  • [8] Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce.
  • [9] Improve and innovate public health functions through ongoing evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement.
  • [10] Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health.