Public Health

Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)

Public Health is concerned with the overall health and well-being of populations and communities. It involves identifying health risks and developing plans and programmes to improve the health of the population as a whole. Public Health:

Is population based
Public health looks at the health of whole communities while they are still healthy rather than the health of individuals when they become ill. "Health care matters to all of us some of the time, public health matters to all of us all of the time" (C. Everett Koop).

Emphasizes collective responsibility for health, its protection and disease prevention
Health is not just the responsibility of the NHS. The activities of other organisations, local communities and individuals also have a effect on health.

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
Many of the policies and practices of government in areas such as employment, education, transport, housing, crime etc. have an impact on how healthy we are as a population.

Emphasizes partnerships with all those who contribute to the health of the population
The most effective way of improving the health of the population in the long term is for government agencies, organisations and communities to work together.