What is public health and why is it important?
Public health professionals, many of whom have a public health degree, work tirelessly all over the world to ensure that we have clean water, better food, cleaner air, and access to a wide range of services to promote our health. These include vaccines, doctors, parks, and public parks.
But what exactly is public health? Why is it so important? What can you do with your public health degree if you are interested in entering the field? We cover everything you need to know about this rapidly growing field, from the definition of public and public health to jobs in public health.
What is public health?
The word “health” is often associated with medical issues. This can make the definition of public-health a bit confusing. Public health does not include the practice of medicine in a hospital or doctor’s office.
Public health, on the other hand, focuses on improving and protecting communities’ health and well-being. It also focuses on prevention for large populations. Public health professionals help communities stay healthy by providing education, prevention and disaster relief, as well as clean water and access to healthcare.
What is the importance of public health?
These roles are often forgotten about until an emergency, like a hurricane, strikes. Public health officials, many of whom may have public health degrees, work every day to keep people safe and healthy, both locally and globally, by preventing injury and disease.
Public health initiatives like vaccinations, family planning and motor vehicle safety laws have all contributed to an increase in life expectancy of nearly 30 years in the United States. *
What are the key elements of a degree in public health?
Public health degrees are available online or on-campus. They provide students with an excellent foundation in topics that affect population health and healthcare systems. This includes environmental health, disease prevention and ethics, as well as issues that impact behavioral and cultural issues.
What are the possibilities for a public health degree in your field?
Although it is possible to gain some experience in the field of public health, many careers in this area require a Master of Public Health degree (MPH). This is for advancement and entry into the profession.
You can put your public health degree to use in any degree level, whether you have a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Public health careers are as varied as the field.
What are the best public health jobs?
Public health graduates can pursue a career in public health in a range of settings, not only.
- Local, state and national government
- Health departments and agencies at the national and local levels
- Non-profit organizations
- Private foundations and organizations that are health-based
- Universities and colleges
- Organizations based on faith
- Insurance companies
What are some common jobs in public health?
Public health jobs are too many to list, but they cover a wide range of areas including epidemiology and environmental health, as well as health services administration.
These are just a few of the many public health careers that you can pursue with your public health degree:
- Health worker in the community
- Investigators for diseases
- Environmental health specialist
- Epidemiologist
- Global health professional
- Health officer
- Advisor on health policy
Specialist in occupational safety and health
- Analyst in public health
- Public health educator
Public health emergency response and coordination
- Information officer for public health
- Coordinator for public health policy
- Analyst in research
Additional Resource:
https://www.waldenu.edu/programs/health/resource/what-is-public-health-and-why-is-it-important
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/
https://www.bcu.ac.uk/health-sciences/about-us/school-blog/why-is-public-health-important
