PH Finals Review PDF

Chapter 2: Public Health Institutions Study Notes: Government agencies play a large role in public health→Ability to make regulations→ Authority comes from the Constitution US Constitution: No federal, state, or locals, regulations, or court decisions may contradict the constitut...

Chapter 2: Public Health Institutions Study Notes: Government agencies play a large role in public health→Ability to make regulations→ Authority comes from the Constitution US Constitution: No federal, state, or locals, regulations, or court decisions may contradict the constitution ○ States can actually do more than the federal government: Reproduction law (Roe v Wade), seatbelt laws Government actors and tools: Legislative branch (congress) ○ Passes laws (acts of congress) ○ Can tax, spend, regulate, interstate commerce ○ Can use spending power to coerce states to pass statutes e.g. drinking age in states Executive branch agencies ○ Carry out (execute) the law Judicial branch (supreme courts and lower federal courts) ○ Police power: "general power of the states to keep order and protect the health and safety of their own populations"; Includes taxing, spending, and much more Local government: ○ Typically consists of mayor, city council, board of health, local health department, and other boards of departments ○ Granted authority in state constitutions and by state laws ○ Makes local ordinances and regulations ○ Enforces both state and local laws/ regulations ○ Administers federal, state, and local programs ○ Closest to the people Government Policies and Programs: Laws (Legislature) and Regulations (Executive): ○ Requirements, prohibitions, standards ○ Mandatory ○ e.g. animal regulations, safety and environmental regulations Programs: ○ Provide funding for assistance, educational campaigns, service provision ○ Can be administered by government agencies or nongovernmental organizations ○ Generally voluntary ○ e.g. vaccination Taxes: ○ Incentives and disincentives ○ e.g. cigarette tax (disincentive) ○ e.g. tax breaks if you're doing something energy efficient (incentive) No matter what the intention with one of these forms and someone will be affected in a way that will make them disagree with it (always potential for controversy) Controversies in health care:  Abortion Cloning: Ethical? Interference with science --> science is supposed to be objective, but because we have to analyze our own findings so it may become subjective Needle exchange programs (places where you can get new, clean injecting equipment and advice for staying safe)--> stops spread of disease but doesn't stop any drug habits ○ Harm reduction strategy --> approach in which we try to reduce the negative consequences of a behavior, not change the behavior itself (often controversial because not addressing the behavior at the root cause) Not eliminating drug use, but trying to stop the sharing of intravenous needles Anything with money involved --> where are the resources coming from? - tax dollars ○ Government are more controversial compared to private actors: Tax Money Vaccine War: Public health doctors praise vaccines as the greatest thing the world 2010 first vaccine war --> parents Measles Outbreak: ○ Measles outbreak (spread to over 100 infections in different states)→A single person with the disease affects many people and is expensive to track and cure (Step 1, identify) ○ What allowed measles to spread was that there were children who were un-immunized (not vaccinated) (Step 2, Protective and Risk Factors) ○ CDC --> uses forensic techniques (Step 1, develop and test strategies) ○ Vaccines (step 3 )-MMR vaccines ○ Parents Arguments: People get sick for a reason --> children can fight off and grow more immune ○ Difficult for herd immunity-95% estimated needed to be vaccinated Jacobson vs Massachusetts (Colgrove): Jacobson v. Massachusetts upheld the authority of states to pass compulsory vaccination laws 1905 court case on smallpox vaccinations ○ Decision articulated that the freedom of the individual must sometimes be subordinated to the common welfare ○ Serves as the precedent in numerous cases that have challenged vaccination laws ○ It has however been recognized that when human rights are protected, fewer people become infected (AIDS/HIV): allows for better access to healthcare, education, and social support systems, which are crucial for prevention and early detection of illnesses