Public health is an important aspect of American society. It benefits the country as a whole and it benefits individual people – like you and your children. But do you really know what public health is and all the services it provides? National Public Health Week is April 6th-12th, so we thought now was a good time to take a look at what public health is, and how it benefits your family.

What is Public Health?

According to the CDC Foundation, the definition of public health is: “the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities…Overall public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations.” The science of public health is put into action through researching diseases, preventing and responding to infectious diseases,  injury prevention, and promoting healthy lifestyles.

To get an idea of what public health is all about, you can take a look at the themes for this year’s awareness week. During National Public Health Week 2020, there is a focus on a different aspect of public health each day:

• Monday: Mental Health
  • Advocating and promoting emotional well-being
• Tuesday: Maternal and Child Health
  • Ensuring the health of mothers and babies and children
• Wednesday: Violence Prevention
  • Reducing personal and community violence
• Thursday: Environmental Health
  • Protecting the planet and trying to maintain a healthy planet
• Friday: Education
  • Advocating for quality public education and schools
• Saturday: Healthy Housing
  • Ensuring access to affordable and safe housing for all
• Sunday: Economics
  • Advocating for economic empowerment as a key to a healthy life

What are the Benefits for My Family?

The benefits of public health are wide-reaching, both for communities and individuals. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), works hard to research diseases, prevent illness, and reduce the threats to the countries health in many ways. Not only does public health prevent illness, but it also ensures that everyone is supported by a system that allows them to live a healthy and safe life. Your family benefits from public health when you eat a restaurant, are protected by law enforcement, have your garbage taken away, use health insurance, need assistance from first responders, and when your child goes to school. Depending on your individual circumstances, you might also benefit from social services and public health clinics. And everyone benefits from improvements in health policies.

Who Works in Public Health?

Because public health encompasses so many different facets of life, it takes a lot of different people to make programs work. Public health workers include:

• First responders
• Health educators
• Community planners
• Social workers
• Epidemiologists 
• Restaurant inspectors
• Sanitarians (people who ensure health and safety in different environments like the workplace)
• Public health physicians and nurses
• Public policymakers

Your Child’s Pediatrician and Public Health

As you may have gathered, public health is important on both a large scale and a personal scale. With the help of public health organizations and initiatives, your child’s pediatrician can be equipped to provide the best care possible. At Kernodle Pediatrics, we provide comprehensive healthcare to children from birth to eighteen years of age. To talk to our team about how to keep your child healthy and happy year-round, call us at (336) 538-2416 to make an appointment.