Health and Wellness Atlas

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Branch

Public Health

Population Health Field
Figures Under a Shared Umbrella

The branch of health practice concerned with protecting and improving the health of whole populations rather than individual patients, through organized effort: surveillance, sanitation, vaccination programs, health education and policy. The World Health Organization constitution frames health itself as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease, and public health is the population level pursuit of that state.

Facts
Central Question
What organized action, applied across a whole population, prevents disease and extends healthy life more effectively than treating illness case by case. 1
Key Debate
How far the state should reach into individual choice, from mandatory vaccination to sugar taxes, in the name of population health, is debated on every iteration a public health measure is proposed. 1
Key Debate
Screening programs for early disease detection carry a documented cost: some screening turns healthy people into patients unnecessarily and leads to treatments that do no good and perhaps do harm, a tension public health has never fully resolved between the benefits of early detection and the harms of overdiagnosis. 2
Connections

Associated With

Amazon Malaria Initiative, Public Health Programs
Australia National Immunisation Program, Public Health Programs
Brazil National Immunization Program, Public Health Programs
Brazil National STD/AIDS Programme, Public Health Programs
Charles V. Chapin, Figures

Charles V. Chapin, longtime Providence, Rhode Island health officer, pioneered targeted communicable-disease-control public health administration.

China Expanded Program on Immunization, Public Health Programs
China National Free Antiretroviral Treatment Program, Public Health Programs
China National Malaria Elimination Programme, Public Health Programs
China National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Public Health Programs
DOTS Strategy for Tuberculosis Control, Public Health Programs
Source Wikipedia: Directly Observed Treatment, Short-Course (DOTS)Wikipedia contributors
Hermann Biggs, Figures

Hermann Biggs, New York City health commissioner, established one of the first municipal public health laboratories in the US and coined 'public health is purchasable.'

Lemuel Shattuck, Figures

Lemuel Shattuck authored the 1850 Report of the Sanitary Commission of Massachusetts, a foundational American public health document.

Lillian Wald, Figures

Lillian Wald founded the Henry Street Settlement in 1893 and coined the term 'public health nursing.'

Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative, Public Health Programs
Mexico Universal Vaccination Program, Public Health Programs
National AIDS Control Programme, Public Health Programs
Source Wikipedia: National AIDS Control Programme (India)Wikipedia contributors
Nigeria National Programme on Immunization, Public Health Programs
Occupational Health, Branches

Occupational health is described as an area of work within public health.

Source World Health Organization Official Site
Peru National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Public Health Programs
Philippines National Tuberculosis Control Program, Public Health Programs
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Public Health Programs
Source Wikipedia: President's Emergency Plan for AIDS ReliefWikipedia contributors
President's Malaria Initiative, Public Health Programs
Source Wikipedia: President's Malaria InitiativeWikipedia contributors
Pulse Polio Programme, Public Health Programs
Source Wikipedia: Pulse PolioWikipedia contributors
Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Public Health Programs
Source Wikipedia: Revised National Tuberculosis Control ProgrammeWikipedia contributors
Roll Back Malaria Partnership, Public Health Programs
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, Public Health Programs
South Africa Expanded Programme on Immunisation, Public Health Programs
South Africa Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Programme, Public Health Programs
Sri Lanka Anti-Malaria Campaign, Public Health Programs
Stop TB Partnership, Public Health Programs
Thailand 100% Condom Programme, Public Health Programs
Uganda AIDS Control Program, Public Health Programs
UNAIDS 90-90-90 Targets, Public Health Programs
Vaccines for Children Program, Public Health Programs
Source Wikipedia: Vaccines for Children ProgramWikipedia contributors
Vietnam National Malaria Control Programme, Public Health Programs
Vietnam National Tuberculosis Control Programme, Public Health Programs
Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Programme, Public Health Programs

Includes

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Institutions
Source Africa CDC Website
American Public Health Association, Institutions
Source American Public Health Association Official Site
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Institutions
Source Wikipedia: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Doctors Without Borders, Institutions
Source Encyclopedia Britannica
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Institutions
Source ECDC Website
Founding of the CDC, Milestones
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Institutions
Source Encyclopedia Britannica
Global Health, Branches
Source Health Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021
Health Communication, Branches
Health Equity, Concepts
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Health Impact Pyramid, Concepts
Health Literacy, Concepts
Source United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Official Site
Healthy Life Expectancy, Concepts
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Indoor Residual Spraying, Practices
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Injury and Violence Prevention, Branches
Source Wikipedia: Injury Prevention
Insecticide Treated Nets, Practices
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Institut Pasteur, Institutions
Source Institut Pasteur Website
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Institutions
Source IFRC Website
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Institutions
Source Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Website
Jonas Salk, Figures
Source Salk Institute Website
Life Expectancy, Concepts
Source World Health Organization Official Site
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Institutions
Source LSHTM Website
Louis Pasteur, Figures
Source Science History Institute: Louis Pasteur
Luther Terry, Figures
Source Wikipedia: Luther Terry
Mass Vaccination Campaign, Practices
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Maternal and Child Health, Branches
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Needle and Syringe Programmes, Practices
Source Needle and Syringe Programmes for People Who Inject Drugs: Operational Guide
One Health, Concepts
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Opioid Agonist Therapy, Practices

Opioid agonist therapy (SubLabel Harm Reduction Practice) is placed under the broad Public Health branch, matching this atlas's other harm-reduction practice, Needle and Syringe Programmes; no dedicated substance-use branch exists here.

Oral Rehydration Therapy, Practices
Source Encyclopedia Britannica
Pan American Health Organization, Institutions
Source PAHO Website
Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Branches
Source Wikipedia: Health Emergencies Programme
Quarantine, Practices
Source Encyclopedia Britannica
Robert Koch Institute, Institutions
Source Wikipedia: Robert Koch Institute
Rockefeller Foundation, Institutions
Source Encyclopedia Britannica
School-based Deworming, Practices
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Smallpox Eradication, Milestones
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Social Determinants of Health, Concepts
Source World Health Organization Official Site
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Institutions
Source World Health Organization Official Site
Thomas Frieden, Figures
Source Wikipedia: Tom Frieden
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Institutions
Source United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Official Site
United States National Institutes of Health, Institutions
Source United States National Institutes of Health Official Site
Wellcome Trust, Institutions
Source Wellcome Website
Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
  • Public health
    Public health is the art and science of improving community health through organized effort. It focuses on preventing disease, extending life, and promoting physical and mental well-being through sanitation, hygiene, infectious disease control, and health service organization.
  • Includes: Doctors Without Borders
  • Includes: Rockefeller Foundation
  • Includes: Quarantine
  • Includes: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
  • Includes: Oral Rehydration Therapy, Oral rehydration therapy
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Overdiagnosis
WikipediaLead section
Quote, Lead section
Although screening saves lives in some cases, in others it may turn people into patients unnecessarily and may lead to treatments that do no good and perhaps do harm.
View the Source
Constitution of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization, 1948Principles section, WHO Constitution
Quote, Principles section, WHO Constitution
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
View the Source
World Health Organization Official Site
World Health Organization
  • Includes: Health Equity
  • Includes: Life Expectancy
  • Includes: Healthy Life Expectancy
  • Includes: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
  • Includes: Smallpox Eradication
  • Includes: Mass Vaccination Campaign
  • Includes: Insecticide Treated Nets, Malaria fact sheet
  • Associated With: Occupational Health, Occupational health topic
    Occupational health is an area of work in public health to promote and maintain highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations.
  • Includes: One Health
  • Includes: Social Determinants of Health
  • Includes: Maternal and Child Health, Health topic: Child health, Overview, opening
    Protecting and improving the health of children is of fundamental importance.
  • Includes: Indoor Residual Spraying, Global Malaria Programme, vector control page
    WHO currently recommends deployment of either insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) or indoor residual spraying (IRS) for malaria vector control in most areas at risk of malaria.
  • Includes: School-based Deworming, Fact sheet: Soil-transmitted helminths, control framing
View the Source
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Official Site
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Includes: Health Literacy
  • Includes: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
View the Source
American Public Health Association Official Site
American Public Health AssociationIncludes: American Public Health AssociationView the Source
Health Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021
World Health Organization, 2021Includes: Global Health, Entry: Global health, scopeView the Source
Needle and Syringe Programmes for People Who Inject Drugs: Operational Guide
World Health Organization, 2025Includes: Needle and Syringe Programmes, Summary, harm reduction framingView the Source
PAHO Website
Pan American Health OrganizationIncludes: Pan American Health Organization, History of PAHO, epidemic controlView the Source
Institut Pasteur Website
Institut PasteurIncludes: Institut Pasteur, Our DNA page, health missionView the Source
LSHTM Website
London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineIncludes: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Introducing LSHTM, public health missionView the Source
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Website
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthIncludes: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, History page, school of public healthView the Source
Wellcome Website
Wellcome TrustIncludes: Wellcome Trust, About us page, health research missionView the Source
ECDC Website
European Centre for Disease Prevention and ControlIncludes: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, About ECDC, public health agencyView the Source
Africa CDC Website
Africa Centres for Disease Control and PreventionIncludes: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, About Us, public health mandateView the Source
United States National Institutes of Health Official Site
US National Institutes of HealthIncludes: United States National Institutes of Health, About NIH, health missionView the Source
IFRC Website
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesIncludes: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, About IFRC, humanitarian health workView the Source
Salk Institute Website
Salk Institute for Biological StudiesIncludes: Jonas Salk, About Jonas Salk biography, public health legacyView the Source
Science History Institute: Louis Pasteur
Science History InstituteIncludes: Louis Pasteur, Biography, disease preventionView the Source
Wikipedia: Robert Koch Institute
WikipediaIncludes: Robert Koch InstituteView the Source
Wikipedia: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
WikipediaIncludes: Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionView the Source
Wikipedia: Luther Terry
WikipediaIncludes: Luther TerryView the Source
Wikipedia: Tom Frieden
WikipediaIncludes: Thomas FriedenView the Source
Wikipedia: Injury Prevention
WikipediaIncludes: Injury and Violence PreventionView the Source
Wikipedia: Health Emergencies Programme
WikipediaIncludes: Public Health Emergency PreparednessView the Source
Wikipedia: Vaccines for Children Program
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Vaccines for Children Program
Wikipedia: Pulse Polio
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Pulse Polio Programme
Wikipedia: President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Wikipedia: President's Malaria Initiative
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: President's Malaria Initiative
Wikipedia: Directly Observed Treatment, Short-Course (DOTS)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: DOTS Strategy for Tuberculosis Control
Wikipedia: Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme
Wikipedia: National AIDS Control Programme (India)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: National AIDS Control Programme
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