Global Public Health Midterm

Public Health

science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities, and individuals

Global Health

collaborative trans-national research and action for promoting health for all

epidemic

widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular tim

endemic

widespread occurrence of an infectious disease permanently in a region

pandemic

event in which a disease spreads across several countries and affects a large number of people

What is the 14th century quarantine?

-means 40 days

-protect coastal cities from plague epidemics

-originated in venice=port for 40 days until allowed in the city

Captain Cook (Britrish explorer)

-5 cases of scurvy = no one died

-sailor conditions = crowded, off land for long periods of time, diet: salt port, biscuits, grog

James Lind

-treatise on scurvy

-Theory: scurvy was a faulty digestion and the cause was bad air, diet, no exercise, and exacerbated by environment

-12 sailors = 6 groups = best: group 5 = 2 oranges and 1 lemon

-anti scurvy diet: sauerkraut, carrot marmalade, orange concentrate, things good for vitamin C, fruits and vegetables

Ignas Semmelweis. What is childbed fever? Describe the maternity clinics he worked at. What did he propose?

-puerperal fever or postpartum infections; bacterial infections in the female reproductive tract following (w/in 24 hrs) childbirth

-Clinic 1: average maternal mortality rate of 10% (BAD CLINIC)

-Clinic 2: average of less than 4% mortality rate

-Proposed to keep hands clean because they were carrying cadaverous particles from autopsy room to patient they examine in the clinic

Who is John Snow?

-pioneer of public health research

-He discovered the cause of the Cholera outbreak in London, 1854

worker’s comp

a type of business insurance that provides benefits to employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses

The Job Safety Law of 1970

gave the Federal Government the authority to set and enforce safety and health standards for most of country’s workers

OSHA

-Occupational Safety and Health Administration

-Dedicated to setting and enforcing health and workplace standards

EPA

-Environment Protection Agency

-Independent executive agency of the US Federal government tasked with environmental protection matters

Safe Drinking Water Act

looks at water supply - chemicals; pesticides