Public health nursing and essential public health functions: bases for professional practice
Keywords:
Public Health, Public Health Nursing, Professional PracticeAbstract
"Improve the health of the population" is the goal of the ministry or secretariat of health in most nations. In recent years, policy debates on how to achieve this goal have been broadened to include the issue of essential public health functions or essential public health services as the foundation for achieving concrete goals. Those responsible for health policies have understood that, without an adequate infrastructure such as that required for the provision of these services, no administration will be able to efficiently advance toward the improvement of health for all. While treatments for specific diseases and activities to minimize individual risks can be successfully provided one by one, they can not be sustainable without an organized public health structure. Moreover, the needs of a city, region or nation will change over time. The presence of a well-developed network of essential public health functions and services allows the flexibility and growth of programming over the years.
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