10 Essential Public Health Services

Assessment

Assurance

Policy development

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Key points

• The 10 Essential Public Health Services (EPHS) describe the public health activities that all communities should undertake.

• To achieve equity, the EPHS actively promote policies, systems, and overall community conditions that enable optimal health for all and seek to remove systemic and structural barriers that have resulted in health inequities.

Goals

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 affecting the population

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

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