Who do you think of when you think of public health?
Maybe the epidemiologist, the clinic coordinator, the researcher, the program specialist who distributes mosquito nets in malaria-prone countries and pamphlets at health fairs.
But what about the urban planner, the organic farmer, the hospital physician, the policymaker? Public health in 2015 is the block captain, the volunteer tutor and the environmental activist. Public health is anyone who helps make his or her community a healthier, safer, and more just place to live.
We know that health is an issue that shapes everyone’s life experiences, but we’ve been less inclined to see how everyone shapes health—or to realize the extent of various people’s influence in this realm. The urban planner who builds green space and gardens into her design isn’t just creating a more pleasant place to live; she’s creating an environment that fosters healthy eating, active living, and community togetherness. The city block captain who organizes litter cleanups not only makes his street tidier, he builds connections between neighbors and bolsters community well-being by facilitating trusting social networks.
[For more of this story, written by Atif Kukaswadia, go to http://blogs.plos.org/publiche...ho-is-public-health/]
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