When the different methods are used for the good health of the community as a whole in an organised manner it is known as community health or public health.
Community health involves following activites :
(i) Maintaining sanitation of the environment by supplying safe drinking water and proper disposal of sewage.
(ii) Providing methods for prevention and control of communicable diseases like arrangement of vaccination compaigns, isolation of diseased cases and giving of treatment.
(iii) Providing maternity and child care health services.
(iv) Providing school health education, nutrition methods and family welfare.
The agencies responsible for public or community health are :
(i) Health Deptt.
(ii) Family Welfare Deptt.
(iii) Sanitation Deptt.
(iv) Education Deptt.
Various activities under community health programme are as under:
(I) Vaccination : Mass vaccination against cholera, small pox, typhoid, tuberculosis and tetanus etc. come under vaccination. These facilities are available to everybody.
(II) Sanitation : Unhygenic surroundings breed diseases. Polluted and contaminated sources of drinking water, disposal of garbage, are the chief sources of diseases. This includes:
(a) Safe water supply.
(b) Waste disposal through compost pits.
(c) Prevention of insect-breeding places.
(d) Prevention of air-pollution.
(III) Sterilization : The water used for drinking should be sterilized by adding chlorine tablets and foods should be heated before taking.
(IV) Medical care : It includes,
(a) Treatment and hospitalization of sick persons.
(b) Personal contacts and printed materials for health education.
(V) Maternal and child health and family planning : It includes,
(a) Routine examination of pregnant ladies.
(b) Delivery of child, infant and post natal care.
(c) Prophylaxis against anaemia and vitamin deficiency.
(d) Family planning advices.
(e) Visits and immunisation.
(VI) School Health Services : The school health services may be:
(a) Regular medical edical check up and treatment of students.
(b) Immunization.
(c) School sanitation.
(d) School lunch or mid-day meal.
(e) Health instructions.
Public health or community health is a very important aspect.
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