Health is a big concern for most people nowadays, especially with the rising number of diseases that go around. Individuals with public health degrees are working tirelessly everywhere around the world to ensure a higher quality of health for the majority. Here are some things that you need to know about health and the public health system:
What Is Public Health?
The word “health” is typically associated with medical matters. However, unlike the traditional practice of medicine inside a clinic, public health does not concern itself with a one-on-one discipline. On the contrary, public health actually pertains to the improvement and protection of a community, specifically in health and well-being.
Individuals who dabble with public health keep communities healthy in a macro-perspective. For example, public health efforts are geared towards disaster relief, clean water, access to healthcare, disaster prevention, child wellness, education, and more.
Many public health careers will require you to have a master’s degree. Traditionally, these are obtained by attending higher learning institutions, but thanks to the current advancements in technology, you can obtain an online MPH (Master’s in Public Health) degree through educational institutions that offer e-learning setups. Afterward, you are ready to help your community.
Why Learning About Public Health Is Essential
Public health is all about keeping communities healthy and safe, either locally or internationally. It involves not only individual health, but also the global environment and sanitation, which creates a ripple effect. Here are some reasons why this is very important:
- Increase Life Expectancy
Learning about public health is important so that you can increase the life expectancy of an entire community. Included in public health programs are family planning, vaccinations, clean water policies, clean air policies, and motor vehicle safety laws–all of which will make people more healthy and help them live longer.
By providing better sanitation and eliminating worksite hazards, learning about public health can improve living conditions. Many diseases such as cancer or heart disease can actually be a result of environmental, social, or occupational conditions, which can be prevented by public health interventions.
- Prevent The Population From Suffering Illnesses, Injuries, And Disease
By learning about public health, you will be able to create preventive and innovative health programs that focus on the well-being of the community. You will be able to improve the environmental conditions of each community to prevent illnesses and diseases from spreading. Public health also regulates safety practices in licensing restaurants with regards to their water regulation, air quality, and facilities.
Learning about public health will give you the ability to help others in a community and global level. At times, programs created by public health experts prompt permanent changes to improve societies in current and future situations by combining multiple disciplines.
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Provides Many Career Options
There is a long list of careers you can delve into if you learn about public health. It also dabbles into a plethora of industries such as environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and more. Here are just some of the careers that you can pursue with a public health degree:
- Health officer
- Environmental health specialist
- Disease investigator
- Community health worker
- Occupational therapist
- Public health analyst
- Public health emergency preparedness and response coordinator
- Research analyst
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Utilize Information And Develop Policies
Learning about public health will also help you with collecting and analyzing health data. If you do this well, you may be able to utilize this information and develop policies to help maintain public health depending on the needs of the community. Public health officials must have the capacity to perform research and analytics to be able to properly respond to the needs of the community.
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Solve Problems
Those who learn about public health are problem solvers that find solutions to global and community health issues. Because of public health programs, there is actually a worldwide reduction in child and infant mortality rates, as well as a reduction or eradication of many diseases. It addresses issues that affect many generations to come.
People who work in public health are also able to identify health risks and do something about it. Using statistical data along with ethical considerations, public health experts are able to make plans to resolve health issues.
Conclusion
The importance of the role of public health in the community can’t be overlooked. Those in the public health sphere have created many programs that have helped our community today. If you want to be a part of this change, you can also study public health and contribute to the wellness of your own community, as well as innovate public health anywhere.
Author Bio:
Nancy Goldwyn is nurse leader and health informatics specialist for Applied Nursing Research.
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