Why Public Health
Public health treats the whole community, not just individuals.
In public health, we work to prevent the disease before it happens, we establish protections that reduce the risk of injury, and we work to achieve health equity so that all communities have access to quality health services.
You may not realize it, but public health is all around you.
When your water is safe to drink, that’s public health.
When you wear your seat belt to keep you safe while driving, that’s public health.
When polio, smallpox, and measles no longer kill milliions every year, that’s public health.
Health Equity
Many current public health programs focus on health equity and social justice. We work to make sure that everyone lives in a safe environment, free from pollution and toxins. We promote equal access to preventive care and health services. We build programs that distribute quality food to underserved communities, and we implement wellness and mental health support programs.
Making Life Better for Millions
In the United States, improvements in public health have extended life expectancy by more than 20 years! In the year 1900, the average life expectancy in the United States was 46 years. Today it is 76 years! That significant change was driven by improvements in public health.
Many factors contribute to this increase, such as safer water, safer food, improved working conditions, infectious disease prevention, automobile safety policies, and tobacco policies. All those improvements came about because public health professionals understood the science and pushed for change.
In public health, we stop disease before it starts. We nurture the complete physical, mental, and environmental health of communities. We understand the connections between environmental health, animal health, and human health.
All together, public health professionals make a real difference in people’s lives. We improve health and wellness in diverse communities locally, nationally, and globally.
Despite all the progress that has been made in public health, many communities still face health problems that need public health solutions. From climate change to pollution to social determinants of health, people worldwide continue suffer. To solve those challenges, the world needs public health professionals that bring the knowledge, skills, and collaborative problem-solving approach that will make a difference. A public health education at the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona will prepare you to make the world a better place.
Many Ways to Make a Difference
In the field of public health, there are many different paths, and they all make a difference in people’s lives.
Practitioners of public health draw upon knowledge from many disciplines to address the physical, mental and environmental health concerns of communities. These disciplines include family health, behavioral science and health education, health communications, occupational safety, environmental health, health policy and management, epidemiology, public health preparedness and international and global health.
Public health practitioners almost always work collaboratively so understand health concerns and find solutions, so working with teams and community members is a fundamental skill in the field. Professionals implement community health programs, serve in government agencies at the local, state and national levels, teach in schools and colleges, conduct health research, help formulate government policy and work in many international health and aid organizations.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which employees many public health professionals, created this graphic to show the range of ways that public health improves our lives.