Public Health

Many of the health problems in the developing world can be tackled or prevented through public health measures such as essential health care, improving living conditions, water, sanitation, nutrition, immunization and the adoption of healthy lifestyles. This book is an action guide to improving public/community health in low-income countries. It is unique in its comprehensive coverage within the public health framework. It explains how you can use public health approaches to develop effective health services to promote health and prevent disease. Practical methods are given for assessing health needs and working within communities to develop and evaluate district and community-based health services. Clear language is used to describe key skills in chapters on epidemiology, managing medicines, communicable disease control, mother and child epidemiology, health promotion, health financing, managing and implementing public health programmes. Issues such as appropriate health policy, social-inequalities, gender and power relationships are explored in an approach which places the participation and empowerment of communities at the core of an effective response.
The challenge for public health professionals is to work within health services to monitor disease and ill health and to ensure good access to effective and appropriate health care for all. The challenge is to work outside the health services with other agencies to tackle the wider determinants of poverty and ill-health. Today's public health professionals need a broad focus and an armoury of skills from epidemiology and needs assessment health planning, medicines management and intersectional working. This book provides a foundation for public health professionals in training as well as those in practice. It is directed at health professionals working in developing countries and managing provincial and district health services. These services may be general health services or specific programmes, such as TB or AIDS. It will be useful for undergraduates during their community and public health courses. The authors use real examples, illustrations and case histories to bring this important subject to life for the reader.