Home›Branches›Public HealthBranchesPublic HealthPopulation Health FieldCitation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextHealth and Wellness Atlas. "Public Health." Accessed August 29, 2026. https://dev-health.interactiveatlas.org/branches/public-health.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextHealth and Wellness Atlas. (n.d.). Public Health. Retrieved August 29, 2026, from https://dev-health.interactiveatlas.org/branches/public-healthCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{healthandwellnessatlas-public-health, author = {Health and Wellness Atlas}, title = {Public Health}, year = {2026}, url = {https://dev-health.interactiveatlas.org/branches/public-health}, note = {Accessed August 29, 2026} }Copy BibTeXReference and ClassificationDevelopingFigures Under a Shared UmbrellaThe 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.FactsCross-Tradition ConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)FactsCentral QuestionWell-attestedWhat organized action, applied across a whole population, prevents disease and extends healthy life more effectively than treating illness case by case. 1Key DebateWell-attestedHow 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. 1Key DebateWell-attestedScreening 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. 2Cross-Tradition ConnectionsAssociated WithOccupational Health, Branches Well-attested Occupational health is described as an area of work within public health.Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1IncludesAfrica Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Institutions Well-attested Source Africa CDC WebsiteAmerican Public Health Association, Institutions Well-attested Source American Public Health Association Official Sitetier 1Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Institutions Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Preventiontier 2Doctors Without Borders, Institutions Well-attested Source Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Institutions Well-attested Source ECDC WebsiteFounding of the CDC, Milestones Well-attested Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Institutions Well-attested Source Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Global Health, Branches Well-attested Source Health Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021Health Communication, Branches Well-attested Health Equity, Concepts Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Health Impact Pyramid, Concepts Well-attested Health Literacy, Concepts Well-attested Source United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Official Sitetier 1Healthy Life Expectancy, Concepts Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Indoor Residual Spraying, Practices Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Injury and Violence Prevention, Branches Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Injury Preventiontier 3Insecticide Treated Nets, Practices Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Institut Pasteur, Institutions Well-attested Source Institut Pasteur WebsiteInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Institutions Well-attested Source IFRC WebsiteJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Institutions Well-attested Source Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health WebsiteJonas Salk, Figures Well-attested Source Salk Institute WebsiteLife Expectancy, Concepts Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Institutions Well-attested Source LSHTM WebsiteLouis Pasteur, Figures Well-attested Source Science History Institute: Louis PasteurLuther Terry, Figures Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Luther Terrytier 2Mass Vaccination Campaign, Practices Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Maternal and Child Health, Branches Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Needle and Syringe Programmes, Practices Well-attested Source Needle and Syringe Programmes for People Who Inject Drugs: Operational GuideOne Health, Concepts Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Oral Rehydration Therapy, Practices Well-attested Source Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Pan American Health Organization, Institutions Well-attested Source PAHO WebsitePublic Health Emergency Preparedness, Branches Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Health Emergencies Programmetier 3Quarantine, Practices Well-attested Source Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Robert Koch Institute, Institutions Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Robert Koch Institutetier 2Rockefeller Foundation, Institutions Well-attested Source Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2School-based Deworming, Practices Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Smallpox Eradication, Milestones Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Social Determinants of Health, Concepts Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Institutions Well-attested Source World Health Organization Official Sitetier 1Thomas Frieden, Figures Well-attested Source Wikipedia: Tom Friedentier 2United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Institutions Well-attested Source United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Official Sitetier 1United States National Institutes of Health, Institutions Well-attested Source United States National Institutes of Health Official Sitetier 1Wellcome Trust, Institutions Well-attested Source Wellcome WebsiteSources1. Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.Public healthQuote, Public healthPublic 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.View the Source1. Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.Includes: Doctors Without BordersView the Source1. Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.Includes: Rockefeller FoundationView the Source1. Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.Includes: QuarantineView the Source1. Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.Includes: Gavi, the Vaccine AllianceView the Source1. Encyclopedia Britannicatier 2Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.Includes: Oral Rehydration Therapy, Oral rehydration therapyView the Source2. Wikipedia: Overdiagnosistier 2WikipediaLead sectionQuote, Lead sectionAlthough 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 SourceConstitution of the World Health Organizationtier 1World Health Organization, 1948Principles section, WHO ConstitutionQuote, Principles section, WHO ConstitutionHealth is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.View the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Health EquityView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Life ExpectancyView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Healthy Life ExpectancyView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and MalariaView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Smallpox EradicationView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Mass Vaccination CampaignView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Insecticide Treated Nets, Malaria fact sheetView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationAssociated With: Occupational Health, Occupational health topicQuote, Associated With: Occupational Health, Occupational health topicOccupational 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.View the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: One HealthView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Social Determinants of HealthView the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Maternal and Child Health, Health topic: Child health, Overview, openingQuote, Includes: Maternal and Child Health, Health topic: Child health, Overview, openingProtecting and improving the health of children is of fundamental importance.View the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: Indoor Residual Spraying, Global Malaria Programme, vector control pageQuote, Includes: Indoor Residual Spraying, Global Malaria Programme, vector control pageWHO 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.View the SourceWorld Health Organization Official Sitetier 1World Health OrganizationIncludes: School-based Deworming, Fact sheet: Soil-transmitted helminths, control framingView the SourceUnited States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Official Sitetier 1US Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIncludes: Health LiteracyView the SourceUnited States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Official Sitetier 1US Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIncludes: United States Centers for Disease Control and PreventionView the SourceAmerican Public Health Association Official Sitetier 1American Public Health AssociationIncludes: American Public Health AssociationView the SourceHealth Promotion Glossary of Terms 2021World Health Organization, 2021Includes: Global Health, Entry: Global health, scopeView the SourceNeedle and Syringe Programmes for People Who Inject Drugs: Operational GuideWorld Health Organization, 2025Includes: Needle and Syringe Programmes, Summary, harm reduction framingView the SourcePAHO WebsitePan American Health OrganizationIncludes: Pan American Health Organization, History of PAHO, epidemic controlView the SourceInstitut Pasteur WebsiteInstitut PasteurIncludes: Institut Pasteur, Our DNA page, health missionView the SourceLSHTM WebsiteLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineIncludes: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Introducing LSHTM, public health missionView the SourceJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health WebsiteJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthIncludes: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, History page, school of public healthView the SourceWellcome WebsiteWellcome TrustIncludes: Wellcome Trust, About us page, health research missionView the SourceECDC WebsiteEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and ControlIncludes: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, About ECDC, public health agencyView the SourceAfrica CDC WebsiteAfrica Centres for Disease Control and PreventionIncludes: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, About Us, public health mandateView the SourceUnited States National Institutes of Health Official Sitetier 1US National Institutes of HealthIncludes: United States National Institutes of Health, About NIH, health missionView the SourceIFRC WebsiteInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent SocietiesIncludes: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, About IFRC, humanitarian health workView the SourceSalk Institute WebsiteSalk Institute for Biological StudiesIncludes: Jonas Salk, About Jonas Salk biography, public health legacyView the SourceScience History Institute: Louis PasteurScience History InstituteIncludes: Louis Pasteur, Biography, disease preventionView the SourceWikipedia: Robert Koch Institutetier 2WikipediaIncludes: Robert Koch InstituteView the SourceWikipedia: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Preventiontier 2WikipediaIncludes: Chinese Center for Disease Control and PreventionView the SourceWikipedia: Luther Terrytier 2WikipediaIncludes: Luther TerryView the SourceWikipedia: Tom Friedentier 2WikipediaIncludes: Thomas FriedenView the SourceWikipedia: Injury Preventiontier 3WikipediaIncludes: Injury and Violence PreventionView the SourceWikipedia: Health Emergencies Programmetier 3WikipediaIncludes: Public Health Emergency PreparednessView the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. 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