PUBLIC HEALTH

Contemporary Issues in Public Health

Part 1: Introduction to Public Health

From the onset, it would be prudent to note that there is no assigned definition to public health. In essence, this means that in the past, a wide range of definitions have been assigned to public health by various authors. Public health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC (2018), could be perceived as the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities, and individuals. This is the definition to public health that will be embraced in this text. In basic terms, this means that public health largely concerns itself with not only the protection, but also the promotion of the health as well as wellbeing of individuals and communities. To a large extent, this is an undertaking that can only be accomplished via the implementation of the most viable strategies towards the prevention of disease and injury which could be inclusive of research efforts and advancement of healthy lifestyles. The CDC Foundation (2020) is categorical that from the larger perspective, public health is inherently focused on securing the health and wellbeing of entire populations. In this case, it would be prudent to note that the said populations could be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country or region of the world (CDC Foundation, 2020).

The relevance of public health cannot be overstated. This is more so the case given that it seeks to promote and advance the welfare of entire populations. As a matter of fact, societies can achieve little in other realms (i.e. on the economic front) without having in place measures and strategies to secure the health and wellbeing of populations. For instance, without clear strategies to contain the spread of infectious illnesses, jurisdictions cannot be able to pursue their developmental agenda. This we have all witnessed in the recent past whereby the COVID-19 pandemic has hit nations and communities hard. As a consequence of the said pandemic, some nations, especially those that were unable to reign in the spread of the disease from early on, are staring at economic decline. Thus, in the final analysis, investment in public health ought to be a number one priority. The role of the government (at the federal, state, as well as local levels) remains instrumental on this front. This is more so the case given that governmental responsibilities for public health extend beyond voluntary activities and services to include additional authorities such as quarantine, mandatory immunization laws, and regulatory authorities (Riegelman and Kirkwood, 2018). The government, however, has to partner with other stakeholders so as to truly advance the public health agenda.

Part 2: Public Health Events/Issues

In recent times, we have had a number of public health concerns affecting communities at the global, national, state, as well as local levels. It would be prudent to highlight some of these concerns. The concerns that will be identified in this section are inclusive of: the COVID-19 pandemic; nutrition, physical activity and obesity; and prescription drug overdoses.

a) COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization WHO (2020), could simply be described as an infectious disease that was only recently discovered (approximately 1 year ago) and continues to wreak havoc across the globe. It is caused by the novel coronavirus. It is important to note that as WHO further points out, this particular disease has been associated with symptoms that vary from one person to another. However, some of the more common symptoms of the said...

…new high. In the words of the authors, his trend has been attributed to the pandemic, which has left people stressed and isolated, disrupted treatment and recovery programs, and contributed to an increasingly dangerous illicit drug supply (Stobbe and Sainz, 2020). As the authors further point out, the latest data indicates that the biggest drug killer in recent times has been fentanyl - which happens to be one of the most potent synthetic opioids formally used (and approved) for the treatment of severe pain.

Part 3: Public Health in Our Society

While everybody is appreciative of the relevance of public health, efforts to embrace and implement the basic tenets of public health appear halfhearted. This is more so the case given the tendency of people to ignore policies and guidelines that advance the public health agenda. For instance, as it has been pointed out elsewhere in this text, people from across the country continue to ignore clear COVID-19 prevention guidelines, i.e. with regard to the maintenance of social distance. Further, it has also been pointed out that the media is often slow to report and sensitize people on the more serious, but silent epidemics such as obesity and opioid abuse. The implications for this are clear. For instance, most people today continue to be affected by diseases and conditions that are largely preventable. Some of the most common health conditions that have been linked to obesity and overweight include coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, and high blood pressure.

There is a lot that could be done to improve the societys understanding as well as perception of public health. I would suggest increased funding to organizations actively involved in matters public health, such as the World Health Organization (WHO). I would also suggest that the media engages in efforts to sensitize the public on…