The core functions of Public Health include Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance.
The ten essential Public Health services are listed below and categorized under the appropriate
core function.
I. Assessment:
- Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems (e.g., community health profile, vital statistics, and health status).
- Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community (e.g., epidemiologic surveillance systems, laboratory support).
II. Policy Development:
- Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues (e.g., health promotion and social marketing).
- Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems (e.g., convening and facilitating community groups to promote health).
- Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts (e.g., leadership development and health system planning).
III. Assurance:
- Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety (e.g., enforcement of sanitary codes to ensure safety of environment).
- Link people to needed personal health services and ensure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable (services that increase access to health care).
- Assure competent public and personal health care workforce (e.g., education and training for all public health care providers).
- Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services (e.g., continuous evaluation of public health programs).
- Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems (e.g., links with academic institutions and capacity for epidemiologic and economic analyses).
* Institute of Medicine, Future of Public Health, 1988.
** A consensus list developed by federal health agencies in partnership with major national public health organizations, adopted: Fall 1994 by the Public Health Functions Steering Committee.
PH Core Functions and Essential Services, 1-15-04
