Community and Public Health

Public health influences the lives of individuals within a community in countless ways. Health agencies work to ensure that members of a community are safe through the delivery of quality public health care services and ensuring that there is an emergency preparedness
and response mechanism within the community. The health agencies cooperate with other stakeholders in the community to ensure they deliver programs and services that are relevant and meet the needs of the community.
Community and Public Health
Health is more than the absence of disease in the body; it is the complete wellbeing of an individual in the physical, mental, and social spheres. Although individual health plays a central role in peoples health, other environment mental factors also have a defining role in the health system. Public health is a science of promoting individual health through an organized effort by the society. The aims are to prevent disease and prolong the life of the members in the society. health plays a central role in determining the wellbeing of the population, however, the overall wellbeing of the community results from the a complex link of the natural, physical, social, cultural environments, individual behavior, risk factors, health, and diseases status of individuals in the community (Robert & Gregory, 1990).
Health care organizations interact with the community and public health through a framework that aims to promote public health. One main component is the building of health public policies. Health care organizations ensure that policy makers are aware of the healthy consequences of their actions. The policy makers are in a better position of ensuring safer and better environment and the provision of healthier civic services. The health cares organizations create supportive environments the organizations encourage reciprocate maintenance. The members of the community maintain the environment to ensure safe and healthier working and living conditions. The organizations strengthen community action through the empowerment of communities in strategy planning and implementation to achieve a better health. The health care organizations support the learning of individuals in the community to increase the options available to individuals. This enables individuals to exercise more control over their health, environment, and make healthy decisions. The health care organizations encourage the stakeholders involved in the health of the community to develop an support based health care scheme that focuses of the total health care needs of an individual. The ultimate goal of the organizations is to facilitate the development of an environment in which individuals in the community attain the highest level of health status possible with the technology available (Sibthorpe, 2007).
Councils based on geographical boundaries manage health issues within the communities. The councils determine and monitor water quality, including the monitoring of wells and water waste treatment and disposal sites. They identify water quality issues and track any water or food borne diseases within the communities. The council facilitates the preparation and coordination of bio-emergencies within the communities and provide testing and counseling for sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV. The health agencies also provide immunization for children and child abuse education to the parents. The health agencies provide inspection and certifications in industries and other sites handling food or hazardous material to ensure the protection of the environment and the communitys health. The health agencies also run other programs that ensure the preventions and the early detection of certain diseases, such as HIV, breast, and cervical cancer. The agencies also monitor and performance environmental planning to ensure physical development of the environment does not jeopardize the health of the public. The agencies promote the recycling and composting of plastics and organic materials respectively to ensure a clean healthy environment (Sibthorpe, 2007). They also carry out research that aims at improving water treatment methods.
To reach a state of complete wellbeing in all spheres of life, all the individuals in the society must be able to realize goals, meet needs, and cope with the environment. Among other things, an individual must be able to control and improve his or her health. Community agencies play a paramount role in ensuring the wellbeing of individuals within a community. The community agencies advocate for good health because good health is important for good quality life (Hacker, Karen & Walker, 2013). It is also a major source of economic, social, and personal development. Community agencies enable both men and women to take control of their health by reducing the inequalities that limit the community from achieving its full health potential. The community agencies also mediate between the local and central government, and in other societal and financial sectors to endorse the health of individuals, families, and population. This is important because the health sector cannot ensure the health of the community alone. Community agencies allow for the modification of policies and strategies to sit the local needs and potentials. To be successful, programs and strategies must take into account the cultural, collective, and economic systems of a community.
The public health is organized to ensure that the health and wellbeing of the citizens in a country is protected and inequalities are reduced. The highest organ within the public health structure in the country is the advisory council. The advisory council develops a strategic plan that includes a performance and financial target. Under the advisory council is the directorate. Directorates provide strategic leadership for the improvement public health. Directorates work with the local authorities to enable maximum health gain from the available resources. To deliver public health effectively, there is a joint effort by the sub-national agencies that focuses on the development of an effectively functioning public health system. The chief operational team is responsible of the public health at a community level. He or she coordinates the efforts of the delivery team and informs health priorities across the government (Robert & Gregory, 1990).
References
Hacker, Karen, M.D., M.P.H., & Walker, D. K., EdD. (2013). Achieving population health in accountable care organizations. American Journal of Public Health, 103(7), 1163-1167.
Robert G. E., Gregory L. S. (1990). Producing health, consuming health care, Social Science & Medicine, 31(12), 1347-1363.
Sibthorpe, B. (2007). Leading health care organizations. Health Sociology Review, 16(3), 357-358.