Public Health: An action guide to improving health

Many of the health problems in the developing world can be tackled or prevented through public health measures such as essential health care, improved living conditions, water, sanitation, nutrition, immunization, and the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Public Health is an action guide to improving public/community health, with a particular focus on low-middle income countries. It explains public health approaches to developing effective health services and preventive programmes.

This second edition has been thoroughly updated and new chapters added on health policy, implementation, communicable and non communicable disease, quality and patient safety. Containing real examples, illustrations and case histories to bring this important subject to life for the reader, the book covers the essential clinical services and preventive programmes including those for TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and the integrated management of childhood and adult illnesses. Practical methods are given for assessing health needs and working with communities to develop health services, and the development of hospital, health centre, and community health services, particularly mother, neonatal and child health services are explained. Additionally gender, social and economic influences on communities' health are explored.

The clear language that is used throughout the book to describe the key public health skills (such as epidemiology, managing medicines, communicable and non communicable disease control, health financing, and implementing health services and programmes), will be accessible and highly valuable to doctors, community nurses, and other health professionals, whether in training or in practice as health officers and mangers of health services and programmes.