Public Health Notes

What is Public Health?

• Public health involves organized societal efforts to maintain health and prevent injury, illness, and premature death.
• It includes programs, services, and policies aimed at protecting and promoting the health of all Canadians.
• Public health is distinct from publicly funded healthcare.

Public Health vs. Medical Care

• Medical care primarily focuses on the individual, emphasizing diagnosis, treatment, and care.
• Public health primarily focuses on populations, emphasizing prevention and health promotion for the entire community.

Public Health Agency of Canada

• The Public Health Agency of Canada empowers Canadians to improve their health.
• It partners with others to:
  • Prevent diseases and injuries
  • Promote good physical and mental health
  • Provide information for informed decision-making
• The agency values scientific excellence and offers national leadership in response to public health threats.
• Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health.html

Functions of Public Health

• Population Health Assessment
• Health, disease, and injury surveillance
• Health Promotion
• Disease and Injury Prevention
• Health Protection
• Emergency preparedness and response

Aims of Public Health

• Public health aims to build a healthier population through:
  • Promotion: Strategies that help populations increase control over and improve their health.
  • Prevention: Strategies that eliminate or minimize the impact of disease and disability or delay their progress.
  • Protection: Strategies that protect populations from threats to their health.

Promotion

• Promoting healthy behaviors, such as:
  • Anti-smoking programs
  • Hand washing
• Healthy eating (following the Food Guide)
• Wellness programs to manage chronic diseases
• Mental health initiatives
• Improving social determinants of health

Prevention

• Immunization programs
• Prevention of STIs through screening
• Education programs
• Injury prevention for children and seniors
• Control of hazards at work
• Ensuring food safety

Protection

• Managing environmental exposure by ensuring:
  • Food quality
  • Air quality
  • Water quality
• Controlling hazards at work
• Controlling infectious diseases
• Managing health emergencies
• Overseeing travel health (vaccines)

Jobs in Public Health

• Health educator
• Epidemiologist
• Health policy analyst
• Community organizer/activist/advocate
• Public health department director
• Occupational health and safety expert
• Food safety expert
• Public health lawyer

Canadian Public Health’s 12 Greatest Achievements

• Safer and Healthier Foods
• Control of Infectious Diseases
• Healthier Environments
• Vaccination
• Recognition of Tobacco Use as a Health Hazard
• Motor Vehicle Safety
• Decline in Deaths from Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke
• Healthier Mothers and Babies
• Safer Workplaces
• Universal Policies
• Acting on Social Determinants of Health
• Family Planning

Video Resources

• Health Canada: Post Secondary Recruitment
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvcORFG-oOo
• Physicians Careers at Health Canada
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV1GfqmT0Mg
• Epidemiologists in the Field
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEORAYIVTIK

YouTube Channels

• Healthy Canadians
  • https://www.youtube.com/user/HealthyCdns/videos
• Public Health Agency of Canada
  • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHMIr4rDriZWLoEZap3kaGw
  • https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOmf-NaXUAAw8Wu.jpg

Assignment: Public Health Awareness Poster

• Create a public health awareness poster using Canva based on one of the twelve greatest achievements listed.
• Research the chosen topic, addressing who/what/when/where/why/how questions.
• The poster should be informative, eye-catching, and well-written.
• Copying and pasting is not permitted.
• References can be attached in a Google Doc.
• Due date: May 9th