Hey Gang,
Great read this week! I chose the discussion paper published by The Canadian Public Health Association titled “The Future of Public Health in Canada”. This article starts by touching on the definition of what health is and how it is not just the presence and absence of disease. This brings me back to our week 1 readings where we studied the definition of health. I do feel that most people don’t have a clear definition of what health actually is and through this course it has clarified many questions and thoughts that I’ve had regarding health promo. Through this week’s discussion by the CPHA we learn about the future of public health. The CPHA answer’s the question, “So what is “Public Health?” The CPHA states,
“Canada’s Public Health system works for all Canadians, acting on factors in the environment that enable Canadians to be healthy and reducing inequities in the conditions that put some Canadians at a disadvantage for attaining and maintaining optimal health. These include the following 10 Guiding Principles.”
The 10 principles are as follows:
- Public good
- Determinants of health
- Equity/ Diversity and social justice
- Partnership
- Public participation
- Interdisciplinary approaches
- Science-based
- Efficient/Cost-effective
- Continual improvement
- Sustainability
I think the 10 principles are imperative and when followed precisely, public health will be successful and sustained. Although I find all 10 principles very important, the most important principal that I found was “Public Participation.” Having communities involved with program planning and getting public input is very important. Some small rural areas may have different concerns than an inner city areas, so it is very important to get public opinion. As the article states, public health thinks globally but acts locally.
I feel from my own experience with the Public Health System that they are doing a great job in promoting health in our country. They do a great job with leadership, prevention and innovation of public health and collaborating with other countries to keep the public informed on global health issues. On a personal note, most recently my wife woke up with a sore throat. What was strange was her face was swelling and she didn’t have the common symptoms of a sore throat. After seeking medical attention she was told she needed to be tested for mumps because her symptoms were common of mumps. After rigorous testing she was diagnosed with the mumps. The Public Health authority did a great job in passing on info regarding the mumps, in fact there was an outbreak in Nova Scotia recently and we were unaware of how severe the illness could be. Through media releases, PSA’s and pamphlets , the public health system did an amazing job informing the public, my family and the province of Nova Scotia on prevention, symptoms and dealing with the uncommon illness.
Below is an article from my hometown on the outbreak. This article was followed by a public health warning.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/mumps-halifax-high-school-public-health-1.3985676
