PH Essential Services

Essential Service 1

Assess and monitor population health, influencing factors, and community needs and resources. Example: tracking asthma rates. Core function: Assessment.

Essential Service 2

Investigate, diagnose, and address health problems and hazards. Example: finding the source of an outbreak. Core function: Assessment.

Essential Service 3

Communicate and educate people about health, its influences, and ways to improve it. Example: a heat-safety campaign. Core function: Policy Development.

Essential Service 4

Strengthen and mobilize communities and partnerships. Example: schools and health departments working together on food insecurity. Core function: Policy Development.

Essential Service 5

Create, support, and implement policies, plans, and laws that improve health. Example: developing a smoke-free policy. Core function: Policy Development.

Essential Service 6

Use legal and regulatory actions to protect health. Example: enforcing food-safety regulations. Core function: Policy Development.

Essential Service 7

Ensure equitable access to needed individual services and care. Example: connecting underserved residents with affordable care. Core function: Assurance.

Essential Service 8

Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce. Example: training community health workers. Core function: Assurance.

Essential Service 9

Improve public health through evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement. Example: evaluating and improving a prevention program. Core function: Assurance.

Essential Service 10

Build and maintain strong organizational infrastructure for public health. Example: maintaining funding, leadership, and information systems. Core function: Assurance.

Which services fall under Assessment?

1 and 2: assess and monitor; investigate and address.

Which services fall under Policy Development?

3 through 6: communicate; mobilize partnerships; develop policies; use legal and regulatory actions.

Which services fall under Assurance?

7 through 10: ensure access; support the workforce; evaluate and improve; maintain infrastructure.

What is at the center of the revised framework?

Equity: ensuring everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve good health.

What is the purpose of the framework?

To describe and guide the essential activities public health systems should perform to protect and improve health in every community.