Essential Public Health Services

• Public health practice benefits from the framework given by essential public health services
• The essential public health services outline essential actions for communities
• The essential public health services coincide with core public health functions, like Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance

Overview of the 10 Essential Public Health Services

• Monitoring and evaluating population health status, needs, and assets is part of assessment
• Investigation involves identifying, analyzing, and addressing health problems and hazards
• Communication involves educating and informing the public about health issues and prevention
• Community engagement entails building partnerships and mobilizing community action for health
• Developing policies entails creating and advocating for policies and plans that support health
• Enforcement requires implementing and enforcing public health laws and regulations
• Equitable access to health services and resources is ensured through access initiatives
• Maintaining a skilled and diverse public health workforce is essential
• Improving involves innovations in public health practices through research.
• Maintaining a robust organizational structure is key for effective public health operations

Essential Service 1: Assessment

• Involves assessing and monitoring population health status, factors that impact health, and community needs
• Community health assessments should be carried out
• Collecting and analyzing health data is a key activity
• Health priorities and disparities must be identified
• Surveys, epidemiological studies, and health informatics systems are used as tools for assessment

Essential Service 2: Investigation and Diagnosis

• Investigating, diagnosing, and addressing health problems and hazards affecting the population is critical
• Detecting and responding to disease outbreaks is a necessity
• Environmental health hazards should be identified
• Conducting root cause analyses of health issues is important
• COVID-19 contact tracing is an example

Essential Service 3: Communication and Education

• It is important to communicate effectively to inform and educate people about health, factors that influence it, and how to improve it
• Developing health education campaigns is a key task
• Accurate and timely health information should be provided
• Messages for diverse audiences need to be tailored
• Anti-smoking campaigns and nutrition education programs are examples

Essential Service 4: Community Partnerships

• Support and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health
• Building coalitions with community organizations is important
• Engaging diverse stakeholders in health initiatives is a key action
• Community leadership in health must be fostered
• Community-based participatory research projects are examples

Essential Service 5: Policy and Planning

• Policies, plans, and laws that impact health have to be created, championed, and implemented
• Health improvement plans should be developed
• Health-promoting policies need to be advocated for
• Health impacts of proposed policies and plans need assessment
• Implementing smoke-free workplace laws is an example

Essential Service 6: Legal and Regulatory Actions

• Utilize legal and regulatory actions made to improve and protect the public's health
• Enforcing public health laws and regulations is necessary
• Health codes should periodically be reviewed and revised
• Educating about compliance with health laws is a must
• Food safety inspections and vaccination requirements are examples

Essential Service 7: Access to Care

• An effective system that enables equitable access to the individual services and care needed to be healthy must be assured
• Barriers to healthcare access must be identified and addressed
• Healthcare providers and systems need to be coordinated with
• Culturally competent care is necessary
• Establishing community health centers in underserved areas is an example

Essential Service 8: Workforce

• Focus on building and supporting a diverse and skilled public health workforce
• Efforts to recruit and retain qualified public health professionals are needed
• Ongoing training and professional development should be provided
• Diversity and inclusion within the workforce must be promoted
• Public health leadership development programs serve as an example

Essential Service 9: Evaluation and Innovation

• Improve and innovate public health functions through ongoing evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement"
• Program evaluations must be conducted
• Applying evidence-based practices is key
• Fostering a culture of continuous improvement is crucial
• Implementing quality improvement projects in health departments is an example

Essential Service 10: Organizational Capacity

• Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health
• Ensure adequate funding for public health activities
• Develop effective leadership and governance structures
• Necessary technologies and information systems must be maintained
• Achieving public health accreditation is an example

Importance of Community Engagement

• Community engagement is vital for effective public health practice.
• Community needs and assets are better understood through community engagement
• Trust grows between public health agencies and communities
• Public health interventions become more effective and sustainable
• Community members are empowered in health decision-making

Partnerships in Public Health

• They enhance the reach and effectiveness of public health efforts
• Types:
  • Intersectoral partnerships (health, education)
  • Public-private partnerships
  • Academic-community partnerships
  • International collaborations.
• Benefits: Resource sharing and diverse expertise

Application Example: Tobacco Control

• Monitoring of smoking rates and health impacts for assessment
• Implementation of Anti-smoking education campaigns for communication
• Enacting smoke-free laws and tobacco taxes for policy
• Collaborating with schools and businesses for strike-free environments
• Enforcing age restrictions on tobacco sales for regulation
• Assessing the impact of tobacco control measures for evaluation

Application Example: Obesity Prevention

• Tracking obesity rates and related health indicators as assessment
• Promoting healthy eating and active living as communication
• Developing Community gardens and walking groups as community engagement
• Implementing menu labeling laws and sugary drink taxes as policy
• Nutrition counseling and weight management programs under access to care
• Measuring the effectiveness of obesity prevention initiatives for evaluation

Application Example: Environmental Health

• Investigation: Tracking sources of air and water pollution
• Policy: Developing regulations concerning emissions and water quality
• Partnerships: Collaboration with industries for cleaner production methods
• Communication: Educating the public about environmental health concerns.
• Workforce: Training environmental health specialists
• Legal Actions: Enforcing environmental protection laws

Application Example: Infectious Disease Control

• Disease surveillance and outbreak detection are part of assessment
• Performing Contact tracing and identifying disease sources as investigation
• Supplying accurate and timely information on disease risks and prevention as communication
• Collaboration with International health organizations and health providers as partnerships
• Availability of vaccines and medical treatment to ensure access to care
• Training for health lab staff and epidemiologists as workforce improvement

Conclusion, Future Directions

• Essential services provide a comprehensive framework for public health practice
• Continuous adaptation is necessary to address evolving health challenges
• Future areas: health equity and determinants of health, global health threats, and integrating technology and big data
• A continuous commitment to partnerships and community empowerment is crucial
• Public health experts should be adaptable and revolutionary, enabling them to overcome future challenges.