Public Health and 'Old' Public Health U3 AOS2 Flashcards
(28 cards)
What is public health?
Public health is the organised, collective effort to improve the health status of the entire population. It focuses on how governments monitor, regulate, and promote health and prevent disease.
What were living conditions like in the early 1900s, and how did they affect health?
In the early 1900s, many people lived in filthy conditions, which contributed to high rates of infectious diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
What is meant by ‘old’ public health?
‘Old’ public health refers to government initiatives introduced in the early 1900s aimed at improving the physical environment—such as sanitation, clean water, and waste removal—to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
What was the primary aim of old public health interventions?
The main aim was to clean up the physical environment to reduce the risk and spread of infectious diseases.
What were the ‘old’ public health initiatives?
Improved water and sanitation
Better quality housing and fewer slums
Better quality food and nutrition
Introduction of quarantine laws
Safer working conditions
More hygienic birthing practices
Provision of antenatal and infant welfare services
Mass Immunisation programs
How did access to clean drinking water affect health status?
It reduced the spread of infectious diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, and cholera, leading to improved infant and child mortality rates and increased life expectancy
What does the initiative of providing clean drinking water mean?
It means people were given access to safe water for drinking and everyday use.
What was an old public health initiative related to sanitation?
Sewage systems were established, and sanitation was improved to separate human waste from water supplies and remove waste from streets.
How did sewage systems and sanitation improvements affect health status?
They reduced infectious diseases like gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, cholera, and hepatitis, improving infant and child mortality rates and increasing life expectancy.
What housing-related laws were introduced during old public health efforts?
Laws required houses to have drains, sewerage systems or cesspits, proper ventilation, and reduced overcrowding. Slums were cleaned up in major cities.
How did improved housing affect health status?
It reduced deaths from respiratory diseases (e.g., pneumonia, influenza) and infectious diseases (e.g., typhoid, cholera), improving child mortality and life expectancy.
Why was The Pure Foods Act established in 1905 and what improvements did it bring about?
Food often transmitted diseases from bacteria, parasites, toxins and viruses due to poor hygiene and storage. The Pure Foods Act in 1905 brought about improvements in the safety and standards of food.
How did improved food and nutrition affect health status?
They reduced diseases like stomach cancer, increased resistance to infectios and respiratory conditions, and improved infant and child mortality rates and life expectancy.
How did public health campaigns improve health status?
They promoted the importance of food hygiene and the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables
What were the two primary advancements after WWI and WWII that helped improve food and nutrition?
The practice of harmful meat curing was reduced once fridges were introduced after WWII
The School Milk Program, introduced after World War I, provided milk for school children.
What workplace improvements were introduced as part of the old public health initiatives?
Workplaces had to have better ventilation and toilets for workers
Workplace regulations better protected people working in dangerous occupations. (e.g. being able to take a paid leave when recovering from work related injury)
What laws protected workers and civilians. hence improving working conditions
The Harvester Judgement in 1907 ensured workers were paid a minimum wage which helped reduce poverty.
Employment of children under 13 years of age was prohibited.
How did improved working conditions affect health status?
They reduced child and workplace injuries and deaths, contributing to improved life expectancy.
What diseases were targeted by the governments mass immunisation programs?
The government funded mass vaccinations in the 1930s for diphtheria, 1939 for tuberculosis, the 1950s for pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus and poliomyelitis, the 1960s for measles and in 2021–22 for COVID-19.
How did immunisation programs affect health status?
They reduced the occurrence of infectious diseases such as smallpox, polio and COVID-19. They improved infant and child mortality rates, and increased life expectancy.
What were early public health campaigns focused on?
They focused on preventing diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and STIs during and after World War I.
How did public health campaigns affect health status?
They reduced infectious diseases such as TB and improved infant and child mortality rates and life expectancy.
How did birthing practices improve during old public health efforts?
Birthing conditions were safe and hygienic and deliveries were assisted with trained and registered doctors and midwives.
How did improved birthing conditions influence health status?
It reduced maternal and infant mortality rates, improving health outcomes.
