Applied Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Public Health & Epidemiology

Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting human health through organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Public health aims to improve the quality of life through prevention and treatment of disease, including mental health. This is done through the surveillance of cases and health indicators, and through the promotion of healthy behaviours. Public health refers to all organized measures to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population. Its activities aim to provide conditions in which people can be healthy and focus on entire populations, not on individual patients or diseases. Modern public health practice requires multidisciplinary teams of public health workers and professionals. Teams might include epidemiologists, biostatisticians, medical assistants, public health nurses, midwives or medical microbiologists. Depending on the need environmental health officers or public health inspectors, bioethicists, and even veterinarians, Gender experts, Sexual and reproductive health specialists.