Editorial Note on Public Health

Ines Llamas Ramos^*
*Correspondence: Ines Llamas Ramos, Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Salamanca, Spain, Tel: (+34) 923 294 41, Email:

Editorial

Public Health is defined as the science of preventing diseases and improving healthy life of people through organised communities, society, and individuals. Main aim of Public health is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, injury prevention, detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases. Public Health mainly focused on good health through nutrition and the prevention of nutrition related illness in the population. It is an area of concentration emphasizing the application of food and nutrition knowledge, policy, and research for the improvement of the health in population.

Some of the governments recognized the importance of public health programs in reducing the incidence of disease, disability, and the effects of aging and other physical and mental health conditions. In recent years, public health programs providing vaccinations to promote health, including the eradication of smallpox.

Main important public health issues facing now a days are HIV/AIDS, antibiotic resistance, leading to the re-emergence of diseases such as Tuberculosis, diabetes. And non-communicable diseases caused by smoking have been threatening public health. Simultaneously, while communicable diseases have ranged uppermost as a global health priority and noncommunicable diseases have been at the bottom.

History of public health

From the early beginning, human civilization recognized that communicable diseases spread through polluted water and lack of proper waste disposal. Later religious conviction attempted to regulate activities related to health, from food taken, to behaviours, such as drinking alcohol or sexual interactions. Governments placed some responsibilities on leaders to maintain public health policies and programs in order to gain some understanding for the cause of diseases, and to ensure social stability prosperity to maintain order.

During 14^th century Black Death in Europe resulted in benefit, it destroyed many rodent infestations and also restricted other infectious diseases during quarantine period. Later they started to build sewers, regular collection of wastage or disposal, providing clean water.

Modern public health

The increase in average life span in the 20^th century is achieved only by public health improvements, by providing vaccination, control of infectious diseases, effective safety policies of motor vehicle improvement in family planning, chlorination of drinking water, smoke-free measures, and by providing awareness programs on chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and more physical exercise.

Some examples of fields of public health

Health educators, Scientists and researchers, Nutritionists, Social workers, Epidemiologists, Public health physicians, Public health nurses.