History of Public Health

History of Public Health

• Public health began when Homo Sapiens started communal living
• Diseases were believed to be caused by evil spirits, leading to the presence of Shamans
• Sanitary engineering was required due to the exigencies of urban living, not considerations of health and disease
• Ancient civilizations built infrastructure to promote public health, such as Rome's aqueducts, Athens' public fountains, and the Middle East's sewerage system
• Hippocrates noted the effects of food, occupation, and climate in causing disease, laying the foundation for a science-based public health

Development of Public Health

• The practice of vaccination did not become prevalent until the 1820s following Edward Jenner's work on smallpox
• During the 14th century, the Black Death led to the development of quarantine in the medieval period
• John Snow identified polluted public water as the source of the 1854 cholera epidemic in London, founding the science of Epidemiology
• Edwin Chadwick's work in 1843 marked the inception of modern public health
• Luis Pasteur developed vaccines in 1880

20th Century Public Health

• Focus shifted to chronic diseases like cancer and heart diseases
• Emphasis was placed on physical exercise
• Vaccination and control of infectious diseases, occupational safety policies, improved family planning, and fluoridation of water became key public health measures
• Anti-smoking campaigns were launched

Challenges of Modern Public Health

• Increased incidence of HIV/AIDS among young heterosexual men and women
• Emergence of SARS, H1N1, H5N1, and other infectious diseases
• Rising incidence of childhood obesity
• Impact of adolescent pregnancy

The New Public Health

• Seeks to address health inequalities by advocating for population-based policies that improve health in an equitable manner
• Focuses on disease control, injury prevention, health protection, and health public policy, including environmental hazards

Levels of Clientele

Individual

• Receives services like prenatal supervision, well-child follow-ups, morbidity services, and health education
• Considered the "entry point" in working with the whole family

Family

• Defined as a group of persons joined together by bonds of marriage, blood, or adoption
• Two major functions: reproduction and socialization
• Health tasks: recognizing health interruptions, seeking healthcare, managing health crises, providing nursing care, and maintaining a healthy environment
• Health tasks form the basis for identifying family nursing problems

Population Group

• A group of people sharing common characteristics, developmental stage, or environmental factors, resulting in common health problems
• Examples: children, men, women, farmers, factory workers, commercial workers, prisoners, military men, and the elderly

Children

• Particularly vulnerable to socio-economic difficulties and political upheavals
• Leading ailments: dental caries, intestinal helminthiasis, colds, pediculosis, upper RTI, enlarged glands, tinea flava, protein-energy malnutrition, error of refraction, and otitis media
• Malnutrition is common, particularly protein-energy malnutrition
• Vitamin A deficiency is a primary cause of blindness among Filipino children

Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances (CEDC)

• Need immediate attention from government and concerned groups due to the magnitude and urgency of their problems
• Include neglected children, street children, those with impairments or disabilities, drug-abusing children, working children, and children in cultural communities with multiple health problems

Elderly

• In 1997, there were approximately 3.5 million elderly Filipinos
• Females outnumber males, living an average of 4 years longer
• Leading causes of morbidity among the elderly: influenza, respiratory problems, cardiovascular problems, malignant neoplasm, and accidents

Community

• A group of people sharing common geographic boundaries and/or values and interests