Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases. It promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work, and play.
Being multidisciplinary, public health encompasses, in addition to epidemiology and biostatistics, some aspects of medical sciences, sociology, economics, and management. While topics of public health, such as maternal health, child health, and epidemiology of infectious and non-communicable diseases, require familiarity with clinical terms and concepts, the author demystifies the medical knowledge to make it accessible to a wider audience.
Every country has unique public health challenges. Predicaments of low-income countries and success stories, particularly from developed countries, are included to make the book relevant for global readers. The focus is on essentials and priority issue as it's written in simple and straightforward language to make it understandable for all who work in public health today. The author also provides situational cases from a global perspective on public health activities.
To stimulate analytical thinking and encourage readers to approach the subject with scientific rigour, concepts and facts have been substantiated with their background, rationale, or application. Readers should be able to relate learnings with their field experience. While the book is primarily for public health practitioners including community nurses and physicians, social workers and community planners, this book also serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in public health and its application in creating healthier societies.
