Public health works across communities and populations rather than at the level of the individual. It emphasises collective responsibility for health, its protection and disease prevention. Key to this is the recognition of the key role of the state, linked to a concern for the underlying socio-economic and wider determinants of health, as well as disease. Partnership working with all those who contribute to the health of the population is a main aim of public health action at all levels – nationally, regionally and locally.
More information on the national picture
In practice this means a wide range of initiatives including:
- healthy eating
- tackling health inequalities
- reducing the damage caused by smoking.
Public Health also develops policy on environmental health, provides
programmes of screening to help prevent breast and cervical cancer and
leads on immunisation and vaccine programmes. It also means working on
wider issues that impact on health such as housing or transport
policy.
We work in partnership with a wide range of agencies from regional and
local areas and from the public, private and non-governmental sectors.
Whatever the issue, we try to combine efforts and focus on helping the
whole of the South West population enjoy better health.
