Unit 3: Principles of Public Health

Unit Aim
This unit aims to introduce learners to the key terms, concepts and themes in public health for learners who are working, or intend to work, in public health. The learners may be aiming for roles working directly with people in their community, or as public health managers or policy makers. It will encourage reflection, comparison and analysis as learners begin to consider the impact of politics, development, the economy, environment, society and culture on the health of individuals and populations in their own locality, nationally and globally. 

Unit Overview
It introduces learners to the fundamentals of public health: key terms, concepts and use of data. Learners are encouraged to compare public health needs in different settings (low, middle and high income countries, and rural versus urban settings). This prepares the learner for higher level analysis of the impact of variables such as environment and society on the health of populations and individual citizens. Learners will be introduced to some policies, laws and regulations which underpin health care in their country.

Learning Outcomes
After successfully completing this unit, the learner will:
1. Explain the key concepts and themes in public health
2. Describe health status indicators and data use in public health
3. Analyse priorities and challenges for public health for different demographics
4. Analyse factors that can impact on the health of individuals and populations
5. Evaluate policies, laws and regulations in public health