PHTH 2350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Public Health, Smallpox, Health Promotion

• School: Northeastern University
• Department: Public Health
• Course: PHTH 2350
• Professor: Ashwini Ranade

Document Summary

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease of infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without the distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition. Concerned with protecting the health of populations. Concerned with limiting health disparities and ensuring health care equity, quality, accessibility. How: education, healthy lifestyle promotion, policies, services, and research for disease and injury prevention, analyzes effects of genetics, neighborhoods, personal choices, environment on health, develops programs, policies to prevent problems from happening or re-occurring. 19th century: the great sanitary awakening, vaccinations/antibiotics, development of state and local health departments, focus on sanitation (trash, waste removal) 20th century: role of the fed. Government (cdc, fda, epa: many infectious diseases were eradicated (small pox, polio)