Angeles University Foundation
College of Allied Medical Professions - Department of Medical Technology
Arlene Joy M. Canasa, RMT, IFBA PC
MTCPH MODULE 1
FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Define Public Health
• Differentiate Public Health, Community Health,
Population Health, and Global Health
• Describe the various health determinants and
significant public health services
• List the key events that affected public health
during each time period
OVERVIEW OF THIS MODULE:
• Definition of Terms
• Determinants of Health
• Essential Public Health Services
• History of Community and Public Health
• Early Civilizations
• Medieval and Renaissance Period
• 18th Century
• 19 Century
• 20th and 21st Century
DEFINITION OF TERMS
▪ Health
o “hal” – sound, whole
o "Health is a state of complete physical,
mental, and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or
infirmity.“
World Health Organization
▪ Disease - Inevitable when the defense
mechanisms of the host’s body fail to cope with
the forces tending to disturb the body’s internal
equilibrium.
▪ A condition of a person, animal, or plant in
which its body or structure is harmed because
an organ or part is unable to work as it usually
does.
o Communicable Disease
o Infectious Disease
o Contagious Disease
▪ Public Health
o “The science and art of preventing
disease, prolonging life, and promoting
health and efficiency through organized
community effort … to ensure everyone a
standard of living adequate for the
maintenance of health … . ”
- Charles Edward Amory Winslow
▪ Public Health System - the organizational
mechanism of those activities undertaken
within the formal structure of government and
the associated efforts of private and voluntary
organizations and individuals.
▪ Community - “collective body of individuals
identified by common characteristics such as
geography, interests, experiences, concerns, or
values.”
o Community Elements:
▪ Membership
▪ Common Symbols
▪ Shared Values
▪ Mutual Influence
▪ Shared needs and commitments
▪ Shared emotional connection
▪ Public Health
o IOM - These are actions that society
takes collectively to ensure that the
conditions in which people can be
healthy.
▪ Public Health System - It is the organizational
mechanism of those activities undertaken within
the formal structure of government and the
associated efforts of private and voluntary
organizations and individuals.
▪ Community Health - It is the health status of a
defined group of people and the actions and
conditions to promote, protect, and preserve their
health.
▪ Population Health - It is the health outcomes of a
group of individuals, including the distribution of
such outcomes within the group.
▪ Global Health - It describes health problems,
issues, and concerns that transcend national
