Public Health Employment

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: February 17th, 2010

What different public health employment settings are available?

Professionals in the public health field can work for both private and public organizations. Within the public sector, there are federal, state and local organizations. Examples of federal or government organizations include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Medical Association, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute for Health. Examples of local health groups include any non-profit organizations, colleges, research and development institutes, and even hospitals. Examples of non-profit organizations would include the American Cancer Society or the Red Cross. In the private sector there are positions available such as working in control trials for health insurance or pharmaceutical companies.

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What types of accomplishments have occurred due to the field of public health?

According to a study in 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed public health’s biggest achievements to include the following:

Vaccines: Due to the widespread use of vaccines, smallpox and polio were eradicated in North and South America, and measles, tetanus, rubella, and diphtheria were drastically decreased.

Motor-vehicle safety: Improvements in vehicle safety have led to a huge decrease in deaths related to motor vehicles. Vehicles are now engineered to be safer and personal behavior has also changed through education to increase the proper use of carseats, seat belts, and motorcycle helmets.

Safer workplaces: health problems in the work place such as black lung and silicosis for coal workers have decreased drastically. Also, serious injuries and deaths in the mining, manufacturing, construction and transportation industries have been greatly reduced.

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Control of infectious diseases: Clean water and improved sanitation have played a huge role in controlling the spread of infectious diseases. Typhoid and cholera were infections that caused a great deal of illness and death previously. Due to improved sanitation, those and other infections have decreased drastically.

Decline in deaths caused by coronary heart disease and stroke: This decline has occurred from education on behaviors that increase the chances of developing these diseases, such as smoking and high blood pressure. Death rates for coronary disease decreased by 51% since 1972.

Safer and healthier foods: Due to decreases in the incidents of microbial contamination, coupled with increases in nutritional content, safer and healthier foods are now available. Developing food-fortification programs has eliminated diseases such as rickets and goiter that result from nutritional deficiencies.

Healthier mothers and babies: Infant mortality has decreased by 90% and maternal mortality has decreased by 99% since 1900. This is largely because of better hygiene and nutrition and antibiotics being more readily available. Also, there is greater access to health care today as well as technological advances in medicine.

Family planning: contraceptive services and family planning has led to smaller family size and greater intervals between the birth of babies. This has led to fewer maternal, infant and children deaths and the use of contraceptives to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

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Addition of fluoride in drinking water: In 1945 fluoridation of drinking water first started and by 1999 it reached 144 million people through the United States. This process is inexpensive and safely provides adults and children benefits such as the prevention of tooth decay. There has been a 40-70% reduction in tooth decay and 40-60% reduction in tooth loss due to the addition of fluoride in drinking water.

Tobacco use recognize as a health hazard: In 1964 tobacco was recognized as a health hazard and that recognition led to the promotion of cessation programs. Since the recognition of smoking as a health hazard, smoking among adults has decreased.