The Role of Public Health in Health and Social Care

This assignment analyzes the role of public health agencies in identifying and controlling infectious and non-infectious diseases in health and social care settings. It explores the effectiveness of different strategies and approaches to prevent diseases and improve well-being. The assignment also discusses the impact of lifestyle choices on future health needs.

THE ROLE OF PUBLIC
HEALTH IN HEALTH AND
SOCIAL CARE

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Roles of various agencies for identifying the levels of health and disease......................1
1.2 Epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious disease which is widespread in UK......2
1.3 Effectiveness of different approaches and strategies to control diseases.........................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Current priorities and approaches of services for people with disease............................5
2.2 Relation between prevalence of disease and requirements of services............................6
2.3 Impact of current lifestyle choices on future needs for health.........................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Health and well-being priorities for individuals in a particular health or social care setting
................................................................................................................................................7
3.2 Effectiveness of strategies, systems and policies in a health or social care setting..........9
3.3 Changes to improve the health and well-being of individuals in a health or social care
setting.....................................................................................................................................9
3.4 An activity to encourage behaviour change for maximising health for individuals in a
health or social care setting....................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
For managing the health care services, public organisations contribute major role to
provide information related with widespread infections and non-infectious diseases. This would
help health care organisations to support people for their well-being by preventing from such
diseases (Tayebi and et. al., 2019). The present assignment is going to analyse the role of
agencies in identifying those diseases which are widely spread and causes a large impact on
public health. For this purpose, a case study is taken about life-expectancy at birth in UK, to
describe the epidemiology of both infectious and non-infectious chronic issues. This would help
in investigating the implications for provision of health care services, with effectiveness of
strategies and policies to reduce the same.
TASK 1
1.1 Roles of various agencies for identifying the levels of health and disease
To determine the health standard as well as analyse key issues which are influencing
health of communities and individual at wide manner, health agencies plays an important role
(Fosse, Sherriff and Helgesen, 2019). They conduct various research for monitoring and
managing public health, to provide statistical data, that further helps health and social care
agencies to put provision for prevention of people from same. In this regard, organisations which
carries such operations for identifying infections and non-infectious chronic issues that highly
spread within a particular community, includes World Health Organisation (WHO), National
Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and more (Edwards and McIntosh, 2019).
The role of WHO in public health can be measured in terms of its core functions, which includes
shaping the agenda of research, in order to stimulate the generation, dissemination and
translation of valuable information; monitoring public health, setting norms and promote
provision of health service; etc. Therefore, these core activities of WHO is used to provide
framework for health care organisation, for accessing health trends (Role Of WHO in Public
Health, 2019). In context with NICE, this health agency provide evidence-based advice and
guidance to health care organisation for improving public health. To promote integrated care,
they provide guidelines for managing and preventing specific diseases, by setting the quality
standard and information to measure the progress (NICE National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence, 2019). With respect to UK, one of the leading agency that work for collecting
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information about severe health issues and proper managing the same, is National Health
Agency (NHS). This agency works closely with Department of Health and Public Health
England for commissioning a range of provision or immunisation programs for well-being of
people, throughout England (Mahajan and Meyer, 2019). The main function carried out by NHS
includes undertake reviews of chronic and serious clinical issues; investigation of wide spreading
diseases; enquiries to access to neo-natal Hepatitis and BCG immunisations.
1.2 Epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious disease which is widespread in UK
Chronic issues which mainly disinfected a person are broadly classified into two main
terms – as infection and non-infection. Hereby, diseases which cause due to presence of virus,
bacteria and fungi at surroundings environment is known as infectious disease (Nummela,
Juujärvi and Sinervo, 2019). While non-infection diseases are non-communicable ones, which
cause due to heredity issues, any dietary deficiency and other, within body of a person.
Therefore, support these agencies has been mad e it possible to increase life-expectancy, where
in 1950 it was only 46 but in 2015, the rate has shot up to above 70 (Weijs and et. al., 2019). But
as per the BBC report, in 2017, more than 56 million people have been died in the world, where
70% of them were suffering from chronic and other non-communicable diseases (Littlejohns and
et. al., 2019). It includes diabetes, dementia, cardiovascular, cancers and more as evident from
below statistical figure -
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From above information, it has been analysed that cardiovascular disease is the biggest
non-infectious disease which mainly affects heart and arteries, that is responsible for every third
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death (McLaren and et. al., 2019). While other 30% of deaths is caused due to preventable
disease, is due to diarrhoea (infectious) and neonatal disorder. So, it reduces the life-expectancy
of child, where they died within first 28 days of life. Henceforth, from these epidemiology, it has
been analysed that adults are mostly suffering from non-infectious disease which includes
majorly cardiovascular, while children are vulnerable to diarrhoea and other infectious diseases
(Cabaj, Musto and Ghali, 2019).
1.3 Effectiveness of different approaches and strategies to control diseases
In order to prevent and control the impact of infectious and non-infectious diseases as
identified in above case that are cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diarrhoea, NHS of UK has
taken a number of approaches and strategies as explained below -
Approaches: For reducing number of deaths and increase life-expectancy, interventions
of NHS include action plan which works for prevention of CVD,
While, for prevention of diarrhoea, NHS is seeking to provide evidence-based
information to local boroughs and health care organisations about increasing issues of such
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issues (Estacio, Whittle and Protheroe, 2019). Along with this, organising education programs
for supporting behavioural changes which enable public to preventing their families and children
from same.
Strategies: It includes techniques that NHS is made under action plan for prevention of
CVD and diarrhoea, includes primary, secondary and tertiary prevention (Actions on
cardiovascular disease: getting serious about prevention problem, 2019). Here, primary
prevention is designed for reducing conditions that increases such illness, while secondary one
includes early detection so that prior treatment can be provided before occurrence. Other than
this, tertiary prevention aimed to organise such activities that reduces such instances (Prasher and
Janicki, 2018). So, these strategies help in occurrence of these issues. While for increasing life-
expectancy of children and prevent them from infectious disease like diarrhoea, vaccinations will
provide at an early age, especially within 28 days after birth.
TASK 2
2.1 Current priorities and approaches of services for people with disease
For accessing health care services and prevent people from both infectious and non-
infectious disease, include -
 Primary prevention strategies: To prevent occurrence of more cases of infection
diseases like diarrhoea which may cause due to transmission of pathogens, proper
vaccine will be provided to children (Smithies and Webster, 2018). Along with this,
sanitation process and other conditions for vulnerable people who are at higher risk of
diarrhoea will be improved. While for prevention of cardiovascular disease, which
remains at the highest non-infectious disease, interventions will be run to reduce risk
factors of same at primary level.
 Secondary prevention strategies: This prevention mainly aims to detect early symptoms
of both infections and non-infectious diseases, as early as possible, so that proper
treatment can be provided for increasing life-expectancy of public (Brownson, Colditz
and Proctor 2018). For this purpose, early treatment will be provided like to prevent CVD
to people who are suffering from overweight, diabetic and other health chronic issues,
that may reduce chance of stroke. Similarly, at first 28 days to 12 months, children will
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be protected from exposed and direct pathogens that may cause due to poor in-sanitation.
Along with this, screening process also considered as secondary strategies that helps in
monitoring the symptoms of infectious or non-infectious diseases (Prasher and Janicki,
2018).
 Tertiary prevention strategies: It includes medical treatment practices that helps in
preventing the worst outcomes of severe disease. This would help in improving quality of
life, by providing physical therapies, drug treatment and more, that reduces poor-health
condition of people.
So, these interventions taken by NHS in current action plan, has led to reduce major
occurrence of serious diseases that could lead a person towards death. Taking different-different
medical practices at each primary, secondary and tertiary provision, has ultimately supported
local boroughs to help people in living a disease free and health life, that increases their life-
expectancy as well.
2.2 Relation between prevalence of disease and requirements of services
By getting the evidence-based report and different statistical data carried out by NICE,
NHS and WHO, the health care organisations and government can make provision, for
prevention (Estacio, Whittle and Protheroe, 2019). Through epidemiology, information about
occurrence of a disease in a particular community, causes that leads the same, can be evaluated.
In this process, prevalence provides information in statistical firm for factors related to health
status, wide spreading diseases, injury and more, during a certain time period (Cabaj, Musto and
Ghali, 2019). Prevalence at a particular period, gives better measure of described factor, because
it includes cases between two period of time, that allows health and social care organisations in
determining likelihood of a person for having a disease. So, this would help in analysing the
requirement of health services to control diseases and increase life-expectancy as well.
2.3 Impact of current lifestyle choices on future needs for health
The living way of people, their poor lifestyle and lack of commitment to prevent themselves
from risk factors of diseases like smoking, chewing tobacco and more, contributes major role in
increasing occurrence of chronic issues (McLaren and et. al., 2019). These factors also increase
requirement of future needs of medical services and treatment for well-being. The impact of poor
lifestyle on future demand of health improvement can be analysed in following way –
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 Fast food: Today, people are preferred to eat food like pizza, burger, noodles and other
fast food products. Taking these foods increases cholesterol level, causes obese related
issues and more, that results in decreasing quality of life and due to obesity related issues,
chance of stroke and heart problems increase in future.
 Smoking: if a person smokes, then it damages the arteries’ lining that increases fatty
material which narrows artery and causes heart related issues (Weijs and et. al., 2019).
This factor considers as major cause behind risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Along with this, people who indirectly consume smoking as a passive smoker also affects
by same issues. It would demand future requirement of health and social care services to
control CVD issues.
 Chewing tobacco: It is not at all considered as a healthier alternative to smoking,
because chewing tobacco can increase a number of risks like mouth cancer, oesophagus,
throat cancer and more.
 Poor diet and Less physical activities: poor diet, less physical activities and more, are
increases cholesterol level, where intake of salts increase blood pressure issues. Similarly,
inactive in physical activities raise obesity, high cholesterol etc. which demands more in
future for medical services.
TASK 3
3.1 Health and well-being priorities for individuals in a particular health or social care setting
Through case study, as per BBC news, it has been evaluated that residents of UK are on
dangerous point of health issues (Littlejohns and et. al., 2019). Due to poor lifestyle, unhealthy
diet, active and passive smoking, poor sanitary and more, decreases quality of life of people.
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As per above statistical figure, in UK, life-expectancy of children has much reduced due
to insanitary, lack of nutrition food and more, where children who dies in first year after their
birth are fighting from contagious and other infectious diseases. In many cases, this lead to cause
death as well (Brownson, Colditz and Proctor 2018). Therefore, to control infectious and non-
infectious disease, NHS of UK, WHO and other health organisations has worked in
collaboration, to develop better strategies and prevention. It includes awareness in local borough
about wide spreading diseases, so that provision for wellbeing of patients by increasing
accessibility of health care services. Along with this, overall provisions that are primary,
secondary and tertiary leads to control health diseases in a successful manner.
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3.2 Effectiveness of strategies, systems and policies in a health or social care setting
The principal health related problem of the entire world include UK is cardiovascular
disease, which mainly causes due to obesity, overweight and poor lifestyles of people (Nummela,
Juujärvi and Sinervo, 2019). Therefore, all discussed programs that are primary, secondary and
tertiary provisions as covered under action plan of NHS and granted by UK Government
including health agencies, helps in reducing the new cases of cardiovascular and diarrhoea
(Mahajan and Meyer, 2019). The agencies of UK like NHS, NICE and other global organisations
have work in collaboration to implement provisions and development of interventions to control
health issues. Effectiveness of approaches taken by these agencies can be measured in terms of –
 Educate people about serious causes of less commitment to live healthy life and intake of
alcohols, tobacco and smoking affects, that highly affects their health in negative manner.
 Bring awareness among people to live healthy life and increases expectancy of long life
 Continuous progress to improve conditions of vulnerable societies.
3.3 Changes to improve the health and well-being of individuals in a health or social care setting
In order to improve and promote well-being of people, health care organisations are
needed to introduce best technology at workplace, that detects symptoms as earliest as possible,
of dangerous issues (Edwards and McIntosh, 2019).. This would aid in providing early treatment
to people for their betterment. Along with this, programs are needed to be run that bring
awareness among people about negative impact of fast foods on their health, so that they can
change their diets. Along with this, in primary provision, more investment need to be done that
helps in reducing new cases of serious diseases. While to increase life-expectancy of children,
proper guidance need to be provided to parents, for how to take care child at early age, when
they are at higher risk of diarrhoea, pneumonia and more. this would help in getting support of
guardian in providing timely vaccines to children for increasing their life-expectancy.
3.4 An activity to encourage behaviour change for maximising health for individuals in a health
or social care setting
To improve health condition, there are number of policies have been adopted by NHS and
other organisations of health care (Tayebi and et. al., 2019). The better policies which are
adhered include smoking quit cessation, which is the main factor of increasing heart diseases and
other issues. In UK, it has been found that maximum people are suffering from cardiovascular
diseases, diabetes and obesity (Edwards and McIntosh, 2019). So, it decreases life-expectancy of
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them at higher level, which would can only be reduced if people are educated for dangerous
issues of these chronical diseases. Government of UK and NHS in this regard, have run a number
of campaigns by organising programs bring awareness among public, that helps in promoting the
danger effect of poor diet, inactive in physical activities, fast foods, smoking and other, on body
parts (Fosse, Sherriff and Helgesen, 2019). The goal behind running such programs include –
 To aware public about serious causes and harmful effect of smoking and other bad habits
 Encourage them to live healthy life for their long life survival.
 Promote wellbeing of people by choosing a better life through engagement in physical
activities.
CONCLUSION
Through the entire report on public health and major issues that decreases life expectancy
rate, it has been concluded that for prevention of same, health care agencies provide a main role.
They work continuously to identify wide spread diseases, factors behind causes of same and how
people of a particular community affected by them. Through prevalence of these data, health care
organisations can implement better provision for providing and facilitating medical facilities.
This would help people to prevent them from current and future issues that put high impact on
their well-being.
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Cabaj, J. L., Musto, R. and Ghali, W. A., 2019. Public health: who, what, and why?. Canadian
Journal of Public Health. 110(3). pp.340-343.
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Weijs, C. and et. al., 2019. Strengthening the health system through novel population and public
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Online
Role Of WHO in Public Health. 2019. [Online] Available
Through:<https://www.who.int/about/role/en/>.
NICE National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. 2019. [Online] Available
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What do the people of the world die from. 2019. [Online] Available
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