Public health programs[edit]
Most governments recognize the importance of public health programs in reducing the incidence of disease, disability, and the effects of aging and other physical and mental health conditions. However, public health generally receives significantly less government funding compared with medicine.[37] Although the collaboration of local health and government agencies is considered best practice to improve public health, the pieces of evidence available to support this is limited.[38] Public health programs providing vaccinations have made major progress in promoting health, including substantially reducing the occurrence of cholera and polio and eradicating smallpox, diseases that have plagued humanity for thousands of years.[39]
Three former directors of the Global Smallpox Eradication Program reading the news that smallpox had been globally eradicated, 1980
The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies core functions of public health programs including:[40]
providing leadership on matters critical to health and engaging in partnerships where joint action is needed;
shaping a research agenda and stimulating the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge;
setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation;
articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options;
monitoring the health situation and assessing health trends.
In particular, public health surveillance programs can:[41]
serve as an early warning system for impending public health emergencies;
document the impact of an intervention, or track progress towards specified goals; and
monitor and clarify the epidemiology of health problems, allow priorities to be set, and inform health policy and strategies.
diagnose, investigate, and monitor health problems and health hazards of the community