What Is Public Health, and Why Does It Matter?
Combining the expertise of medical professionals with the unique needs of individual communities, the public health field aims to improve the quality of life for all people within a population. The public health issues facing contemporary communities are wide-ranging and complex, requiring public health professionals to prioritize health equity and develop evidence-based strategies to address them.
Read on to learn more about the rewarding and challenging field of public health and its role in today’s world.
What Is Public Health?
Rooted in science and driven by data, public health is a dynamic field focused on protecting and improving the well-being of populations. While it focuses primarily on enhancing health equity, accessibility, and outcomes, public health is distinctly different from healthcare. Rather than providing healthcare treatment services, public health professionals actively work to reduce barriers and improve accessibility to health services and information, helping ensure that people are able to enjoy a high quality of life.
Why Is Public Health Important?
The goal of any public health initiative is to elevate the quality of life of all people part of a certain population — whether the initiative has a global or national scope or is focused on an individual population within a community.
According to the CDC Foundation, public health is a vital field, particularly as community health issues become more pervasive. Public health is important because:
- It improves access to factual information and valuable educational programming.
- It improves health policy, allowing more people to benefit from public health outcomes.
- It facilitates research, giving healthcare professionals as well as government leaders the ability to make evidence-based decisions.
- It reduces the number of health hazards within communities.
- It helps to reduce the overall cost of healthcare, both through preventative and reactive efforts.
Ultimately, the field of public health reduces human suffering. It enables anyone, regardless of their background or current circumstances, to access the information and health services they need to live a full and productive life.
Who Works in Public Health?
You might be surprised at just how many people work in public health; the scope of this field is incredibly vast. While all public health professionals share the common goal of improving the lives of the people they serve, the individual duties and responsibilities within public health careers vary greatly.
- Public health communications specialists – Combining their communication and marketing skills with their passion for public health, these public health professionals help raise awareness about disease prevention and other public health initiatives.
- Public health educators – From developing educational programming for young children to teaching classes at hospitals, public health educators work to provide guidance about public health issues and improve access to public health resources.
- Epidemiologists – Anchoring the public health field, epidemiologists conduct research and collect data about disease spread in a given community. Their work impacts the scope and range of many public health initiatives around the world.
Public Health Worker Responsibilities
As a public health professional, the work you do each day will vary significantly based on the specific position and the scope of your role. According to the American Public Health Association, these are some of the most common job responsibilities of public health professionals:
- Developing education programs that improve access to health information. (For instance, public health educators may work to create nutritional programs for local schools.)
- Advocating for laws and policies that enhance safety and reduce the health equity gap. (For example, public health consultants might collaborate with legislators about the importance of car seat safety.)
- Tracking local data to monitor disease outbreaks and develop public health guidelines accordingly. (For instance, public health professionals may collect and analyze data related to the spread of COVID-19 and influenza throughout a community.)
- Developing safety standards for workers within a given population (such as those who work in manufacturing or in agriculture).
- Conducting research that provides public health professionals, healthcare providers, and government leaders with the actionable information they need to make data-driven decisions. (For instance, public health researchers might work to uncover data-based information about emerging health trends in a population.)
Public Health Areas of Focus
Whether you choose to pursue an online or on-campus public health degree program, you can likely tailor your education to one key realm of public health that interests you most. Several specialties within this field allow you to combine your own personal interests and strengths with your passion for improving the lives of those around you.
Notable areas of focus in public health include:
Health Data
The modern public health system is anchored by health data, making this one of the most critical focal points within the field. According to the Centers for Disease Control, public health agencies rely heavily on accurate data in order to monitor the spread of disease, identify trends and patterns taking shape in communities and, in turn, develop public health guidance.
Emergency Response
Emergency response assumes an increasingly prominent role in the field of public health, especially as climate change continues to inflict devastation upon communities around the world. From natural disasters to disease outbreaks, large-scale emergencies threaten lives and leave people vulnerable. Public health organizations often focus on both emergency preparedness and emergency response to best serve communities.
Public Education
Education and advocacy efforts are integral to public health, with agencies working to provide members of the public with critical information that they need to protect themselves and improve their quality of life. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, educational access is directly related to health outcomes — highlighting the importance of public health education efforts.
Safety Standards Enforcement
With the goal of improving all lives within a community, the field of public health emphasizes safety. Through safety standards enforcement, public health agencies can verify that guidelines are in place and adhered to. For example, health inspectors employed by government agencies may visit local businesses to confirm that they are in compliance with all regulatory guidelines and safety standards.
Policy Development
Across specialty areas, public health professionals advocate for those they serve, meaning that policy development is a core function of public health. As health data is collected and emerging trends are better understood, many public health professionals collaborate with legislators to develop and implement policies that could lead to improved health outcomes in particular communities or populations.
Explore the Field of Public Health at Boston University
Current public health issues are complex and nuanced, calling for public health professionals to take an inclusive approach to their work that prioritizes health equity and accessibility. At Boston University (BU), our Master of Public Health (MPH) programs include both an On-Campus MPH and Online MPH featuring a flexible, skills-based curriculum that prioritizes health equity and equips graduates with the competencies required to develop innovative solutions to the challenges facing the public health system.
Learn more about BU’s nationally recognized MPH programs by requesting further information today. Ready to take the next step? You can start filling out your online application for admission.