Public Health Practice in Australia

List of tables and figures

Abbreviations and acronyms

About the authors

Introduction

PART I BACKGROUND: THE BASICS

1 What is public health? Definitions and applications

2 The historical development of public health: Landmarks in the field

3 Health in Australia today: Health status, the health-care system and the place of public health

PART II CONCEPTUAL AND ANALYTICAL TOOLKIT: KEY CONCEPTS AND FRAMEWORKS

4 Distribution of health and its determinants: Changing concepts and models

5 Explaining differences and determinants: Environment, society and behaviour

6 Public health interventions: From quarantine to the rise of 'evidence-based practice'

7 Health systems and policy: Making sense of the complex mosaic

PART III PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE: BUILDING BLOCKS AND THE SYSTEM OF DELIVERY

8 Who delivers public health? Contemporary policies and players

9 Legislative authority for public health action: How governments and societal expectations intersect

10 Public health intelligence: Information and the research base for action

11 Human and financial resources: Essential foundations for action

PART IV PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION: KEY INTERVENTIONS FROM PAST TO PRESENT

12 Surveillance and disease control: From data to intervention

13 Health protection: From the physical environment to ecological health

14 Preventive services: Linking public health and personal health care

15 Health promotion: From lifestyles to societal determinants of health

16 Health maintenance and improvement for vulnerable populations: From needs to rights

PART V PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES: EMERGING ISSUES AND RESPONSES

17 Public health governance: Politics of participation, decision-making and accountability

18 Futures of public health: Where to now for the organised effort?

19 A final note on ethical practice

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Australian core public health functions

Appendix B: Millennium Development Goals

Appendix C: Commonwealth Department of Health structure, 1921-2012

Appendix D: Commonwealth population health divisions, 1961-2012

Appendix E: Approaches and theories for health promotion

Appendix F: Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, 1986 (extract)

Appendix G: Evidence-based public health: Recommendations form Taskforce on Community Preventive Services

Appendix H: Examples of public health laws in Australia

Appendix I: Examples of new diseases identified in humans since 1975

Appendix J: Core environmental health services provided by Health Departments and environment protection agencies

Appendix K: Vaccine start dates in Australia

Appendix L: Common food- or water-borne pathogens

Useful resources

Sources for definitions

Bibliography

Index