Public health is a term much used in the media, by health
professionals, and by activists. At the national or the local level
there are ministries or departments of public health, whilst
international agencies such as the World Health Organisation
promote public health policies, and regional organisations such as
the European Union have public health funding and policies. But
what do we mean when we speak about 'public health'? In this Very
Short Introduction Virginia Berridge explores the areas which fall
under the remit of public health, and explains how the individual
histories of different countries have come to cause great
differences in the perception of the role and responsibilities of
public health organisations. Thus, in the United States litigation
on public health issues is common, but state involvement is less,
while some Scandinavian countries have a tradition of state
involvement or even state ownership of industries such as alcohol
in connection with public health. In its narrowest sense, public
health can refer to the health of a population, the longevity of
individual members, and their freedom from disease, but it can also
be anticipatory, geared to the prevention of illness, rather than
simply the provision of care and treatment. In the way public
health deals with healthy as well as sick people it is therefore a
separate concept from health services, which deal with the sick
population. Drawing on a wide range of international examples,
Berridge demonstrates the central role of history to understanding
the amorphous nature of public health today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The
Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press
contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These
pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new
subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis,
perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and
challenging topics highly readable.
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