Public Health 101 Series
Introduction to Public
Health
Instructor name
Title
Organization
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Course Topics
Introduction to Public Health
1. Public Health Definition and Key Terms
2. History of Public Health
3. A Public Health Approach
4. Core Functions and Essential Services of Public Health
5. Stakeholder Roles in Public Health
6. Determining and Influencing the Public’s Health
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Learning Objectives
After this course, you will be able to
• describe the purpose of public health
• define key terms used in public health
• identify prominent events in the history of public health
• recognize the core public health functions and services
• describe the role of different stakeholders in the field of
public health
• list some determinants of health
• recognize how individual determinants of health affect
population health
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Topic 1
Public Health Definition
and Key Terms
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Public Health Defined
“The science and art of preventing
disease, prolonging life, and promoting
health through the organized efforts
and informed choices of society,
organizations, public and private
communities, and individuals.”
—CEA Winslow
Photo: IF Fisher and EL Fisk
Winslow CEA. The untilled field of public health. Mod Med 1920;2:183–91. 5
The Mission of Public Health
“Fulfilling society’s interest
in assuring conditions in
which people can be
healthy.”
—Institute of Medicine
“Public health aims to
provide maximum benefit for
the largest number of
people.”
—World Health Organization
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Public Health Key Terms
clinical care: prevention, treatment, and management of illness and
the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services
offered by medical and allied health professions; also known as health
care.
determinant: factor that contributes to the generation of a trait.
epidemic or outbreak: occurrence in a community or region of cases
of an illness, specific health-related behavior, or other health-related
event clearly in excess of normal expectancy. Both terms are used
interchangeably; however, epidemic usually refers to a larger
geographic distribution of illness or health-related events.
health outcome: result of a medical condition that directly
affects the length or quality of a person’s life.
Stedman TL, ed. Stedman’s medical dictionary. 28th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins; 2006.
Farlex, Inc. The free dictionary. Huntingdon Valley, PA: Farlex, Inc.; 2014. Available at: [Link] 7
Knowledge Check
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
A. groups of people B. individuals
groups of people
Public health aims to provide ___________________
with the right to be healthy and live in conditions
that support health.
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Knowledge Check
Fill in the blank with the correct answer.
A. pandemic B. intervention
C. epidemic or outbreak D. prevention
epidemic or outbreak is a disease
A(n) ________________________
occurrence among a population that is in
excess of what is expected for a given time
and place.
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Topic 2
The History of Public Health
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Sanitation and Environmental Health
500 BCE 1840s 1970
Greeks and Romans The Public Health The Environmental
practice community Act of 1848 was Protection Agency
sanitation measures established in the was founded
United Kingdom
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Pandemics
Influenza Polio HIV
500 million infected Vaccine introduced 34 million living with
worldwide in 1918 in 1955; eradication HIV worldwide; 20%
initiative launched in decline in new
1988 infections since 2001
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Preparedness for Disaster Response
Biologic September Hurricane
Warfare 2001 Katrina
Plague used as a Public health Emergency services,
weapon of war during surveillance public health
the Siege of Kaffa conducted after surveillance, and
the 9/11 attacks disease treatment
provided
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Prevention Through Policy
Book Tobacco
Obesity
of Leviticus Laws
The world’s Laws banning smoking Food labeling and
first written in public places promotion of physical
health code activity
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Knowledge Check
Which of the following events in public health history
have been pandemics? (Select all that apply)
A. Siege of Kaffa
B. Influenza
C. Polio
D. Hurricane Katrina
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Topic 3
A Public Health Approach
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A Public Health Approach
Risk Factor Intervention
Surveillance Implementation
Identification Evaluation
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Public Health Core Sciences
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Cholera — A Public Health Approach
Cholera, a fatal intestinal
disease, was rampant during
the early 1800s in London,
causing death to tens of
thousands of people in the
area. Cholera was
commonly thought to be
caused by bad air from
rotting organic matter.
Photo: TJ Kirn, MJ Lafferty, CMP Sandoe, and R Taylor,
Dartmouth Medical School
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John Snow, Physician
John Snow is best known for
his work tracing the source of
the cholera outbreak and is
considered the father of
modern epidemiology.
Photo: London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine
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