What is public health
The Faculty defines public health as:
"The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts of society." (Sir Donald Acheson)
The Faculty's Public Health Approach
The Faculty's approach is that public health:
- is population based
- emphasises collective responsibility for health, its protection and disease prevention
- recognises the key role of the state, linked to a concern for the underlying socio-economic and wider determinants of health, as well as disease
- emphasises partnerships with all those who contribute to the health of the population.
It also defines three domains in which public health specialists practice.