What is Public Health?
According to the CDC Foundation, Public Health is “the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities.”1 Public health focuses on promoting healthy lifestyles, trying to prevent illness, disease, and injury, and tackling the barriers that lead to health inequities and poorer health outcomes. Public health focuses on improving population health.
Why is Public Health important?
Public health entities, such as health departments, work to protect and improve the health and quality of life for all people in various ways.
Here are some of the ways health departments work to do this:
- Services such as WIC provide families with baby formula and nutritious food to eat.
- Immunizations help prevent serious illness and disease.
- Environmentalists perform health inspections at restaurants, schools, public pools, tattoo shops, and other facilities to make sure they are following safety regulations. These laws and regulations help keep the public safe by requiring businesses and institutions to follow specific procedures related to cleaning/sanitizing and food storage and preparation.
- The HANDS program supports families during pregnancy and continues that support through weekly home visits up until the child turns 3 years old. HANDS team members teach families how to promote optimal growth and development of their baby.
- Health educators teach evidence-based curriculum to people of all ages, covering a wide range of health topics such as (but not limited to!) sex education, chronic disease management and prevention, and tobacco cessation.
- Public health practitioners from the health department (and many other health and safety entities) advocate for new legislation and policies that will improve the health of communities. Notable public health legislative achievements that have greatly improved the health and safety of communities include seatbelt laws and smoke-free ordinances.
10 Major Public Health Achievements (in no particular order)
- Vaccinations
- Discovery and development of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medications
- Establishment of health departments that implemented improved widespread sanitation and hygiene practices
- Prevention and control of infectious diseases
- Tobacco control
- Maternal and infant health improvements
- Motor vehicle safety
- Occupational safety
- Cancer prevention
- Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
References
- CDC Foundation. “What is Public Health?” Accessed July 8th, 2025, from https://www.cdcfoundation.org/what-public-health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US). Achievements in Public Health, 1900-1999: Control of Infectious Diseases. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1999;48(29):621-629. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4829a1.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US). Ten Great Public Health Achievements — United States, 2001–2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2011;60(19):619-623. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6019a5.htm?s_cid=mm6019a5_w