Reinvigorating public health

Abstract

In the Public Health Quintet published in The Lancet, it was pointed out that although the scope of modern public health is broad and inclusive, breadth is missing from much of the practice. It is faced with new and even more difficult challenges brought on by the increasing globalization of the determinants of health. In view of such, this article suggests an approach to address the issue of reinvigorating public health. It is noted that to achieve the goal of reinvigoration, an increase in commitments from the public health workforce to a broader view of public health and to values of equity and ecological sustainability is required. The public health practice needs to focus on overall improvement in population health through the reduction of the readily preventable burden of disease, whether communicable or noncommunicable, especially among disadvantaged groups. Social and economic deprivation should be reduced by focusing on its underlying structural determinants. Moreover, there should be strong political and professional leadership at the global level to increase the value of researches on priority issues, including poor health as a determinant of poverty. Overall, if the reinvigoration of public health gathers pace, the ultimate goal for public health practitioners will be achieved.