Public Health--What Is It?

Public health works to protect and improve the health of a community through preventive medicine, health education, control of communicable diseases, application of sanitary measures, and monitoring of environmental hazards. Throughout our history, public health has made tremendous strides in food safety, occupational safety, motor vehicle safety, control of infectious diseases, vaccination, fluoridation of water, infant and maternal health, and modifying behavior to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.