Discussion:
Old age is not so bad when you consider the alternatives.
-Maurice Chevalier, French actor, singer, and popular vaudeville entertainer (1888-1972)
Since 1900, the average life expectancy of persons in the United States has lengthened by more than 30 years, thanks in great part to efforts of public health professionals who strive to keep us healthy and free of injury. While none of us expects to be sick or injured, we often take for granted the health and safety measures, highlighted in your resources this week, that help us reduce our health risks.
To prepare for this Discussion, consider that the burden of disease for a community illustrates the gap between current health status of its residents and an ideal health situation where the entire population lives to an advanced age, free of disease and disability. Think about how public health closes that gap. Consider how the work of public health professionals and organizations can impact the Health-Adjusted Life Expectancy (HALE) and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) as described in Chapter 2 of Public and Global Health Essentials.
Start your post with a brief description of a current or historic public health effort (i.e., water fluoridation) that is new, or surprising, from your Learning Resources (required and/or optional resources can be used).
1. Thinking about your daily activities, describe two specific instances where public health efforts, such as those identified in your learning resources (i.e., immunization), may have an impact on individuals you know.
2. Explain how your examples may impact the burden of disease addressed in your Learning Resources this week.
3. How would, or do, your examples of public health affect people in other, less developed, countries? Provide an example to illustrate your point