What is Public Health?

Public Health is everywhere and is the foundation of building a healthier world. Public Health touches everything in the world around you; it is in the water, air, buildings and people you encounter in every moment of every day. In the words of C. Everett Koop, “Health care matters to all of us some of the time, Public Health matters to all of us all of the time.”

Some examples of achievements in Public Health include:

• Vaccinations
• Motor vehicle safety
• Control of infectious diseases
• Safer and healthier foods
• Healthier mothers and children
• Decline in mortality from chronic diseases

Public Health seeks to improve human health through the development and application of knowledge that helps prevent disease, protects the public from exposure to potential harm, and promotes health throughout the state, the nation and the world. Public Health represents a growing and dynamic field with abundant career opportunities in the public and private sectors. The field of Public Health is central to addressing some of the most pressing health issues we face today, such as rising health care costs and the need for greater prevention of disease and disability across the life span.