What is Public Health?
Public health is all about keeping communities healthy and safe. And, often, it’s in ways people may not even notice. Instead of focusing on one person at a time, public health looks at the big picture. Specifically, how can we care for entire communities?
We ask questions, like how do we:
- Prevent illness and injury?
- Protect people?
- Make sure everyone has a fair change to live well?
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Public health works behind the scenes every day to improve lives. In California, this mission is led by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
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We Prevent Disease
- We track and aim to stop the spread of illnesses like measles, flu and valley fever.
- We monitor outbreaks of foodborne illnesses to keep our food supply safe.
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We Protect Families
- We promote healthy lifestyle habits like, using seatbelts, helmets and child car seats to prevent injuries.
- We offer health screenings for new moms and babies to catch problems early.
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We Plan for Emergencies
- We prepare for disasters like earthquakes, floods and wildfires, so communities can respond quickly and stay safe.
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We Support Healthy Living
- We run programs like Champions for Change to promote good nutrition and prevent obesity.
- We provide nutrition support through the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program.
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We Ensure Safety
- We license and inspect hospitals, clinics and health professionals to make sure care is safe and high-quality.
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We Use Data to Improve Health
- We collect health information, use technology and share data. Oftentimes we use dashboard to display this info. Our goal in using data is to reduce poor health outcomes—especially for vulnerable populations.
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We Manage Vital Records
- We process important documents like birth, marriage and death certificates.
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