Table of Contents
Introduction – Page 1
Government and Public Health – Page 1
Identifying the Health Needs of the Population – Page 1
Reduce Disease Risk and Screen for Early Diseases – Page 2
Minimising the Harm of Environmental Factors – Page 4
Monitoring Patterns of Health – Page 5
Factors that Affect Ill-health and Minimising Factors – Page 7
Conclusion – Page 10
References – Page 12
Introduction
This report will be examining the strategies used for developing public health policy to
improve the health of individuals and the population.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), health "is a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." (WHO,
2018), which suggests that you have to be utterly free from illness to be healthy. This
definition can be compared to Sartorius' definition, "Health is a state of balance, an
equilibrium that an individual has established within themselves and between themself and
their social and physical environment", (Sartorius, 2006). This definition acknowledges the
life long illness that people may be living with, such as diabetes and mentions that you can
live a healthy life with them.
Government and Public Health England
The government monitors the nation's health to determine which areas need policies to
lower the health risk; such as, the number of children diagnosed as obese, or the number of
smokers in the UK; this is then carried out in specific strategies.
According to the Public Health England (PHE) website, they are responsible for, "making
the public healthier and reducing differences between the health of different groups by
promoting healthier lifestyles, advising government and supporting action by local
government, the NHS and the public". PHE does this by conducting science, research,
gaining information and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships, and specialist public health
services. (Public Health England, "About Us", 2013)
Identifying the Health Needs of The Population
Public Health England has introduced several strategies that have been implemented in
society to encourage and improve the nation's health. These include identifying the health
,needs of the population and promoting better health. An example of this strategy being used
is with the stop smoking campaign and alcohol abuse awareness. According to the World
Health Organisation, Public Health is defined as "the art and science of preventing disease,
prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society" (Acheson,
1988; cited in WHO, 2021). According to NHS England and Public Health England, it is
estimated that over 6 million people in England smoke and 10.4 million people are drinking
at high-risk levels.
Public Health England and Health Matters have created an effective strategy of promoting
the quitting of smoking and handling of alcohol abuse by creating Ask, Advise, Act (AAA)
and Very Brief Advice (VBA), (Public Health England, 2017). With AAA and VBA, the health
care professional would ask if they smoke then record the details. They would then advise
them on effective methods on stopping smoking, then act by prescribing medication if
necessary and referring them to specialist support.
PHE has also created a version for people suffering from alcohol abuse; this is called
Alcohol Identification and Brief Advice (IBA). During this process, the health care specialist
would identify if the person is dependent on alcohol or increases health risks by drinking
alcohol. The professional would then ask the 3 Audit C questions, provide feedback and
health risks, then provide information to the person and provide a leaflet regarding the harm
from alcohol and the benefits of cutting down. If the person is found to be dependent, they
would then refer them to a professional. This strategy is extremely useful in identifying
health needs for the public and reducing the health conditions associated with smoking and
alcohol abuse. We can read this in the Nursing Times 2012; they state that because this
method does not involve asking smokers how much they smoke, as that can lead them to
be defensive and not feel supported, it is therefore effective (Nursing Times, 2012). We can
see this in the article provided, as it states that the quitting rates in smoking jumped from 3
and 4 per cent to 15 and 20 per cent after using the VBA method.
In addition to this, an article written in the Guidelines in Practice reports, “Very brief advice
given opportunistically in primary care is a highly cost-effective intervention”. They state that
the strategy is effective due to the quickness of the method and the cost effectiveness of it.
(Wright, 2013)
Reduce Disease Risk and Screen for Early Diseases
Another strategy used to develop public health policies includes developing programmes to
reduce disease risk and screen for early diseases. The implementation of cervical screening
shows this. Cervical screening is a programme implemented by the government and the
NHS in the 1980s (Albrow et al., 2012). Cervical screening aims to help health care workers
reduce the risk of HPV (human papillomavirus) turning cancerous in vulnerable age groups,
(which is 25 and over), having cervical screening programmes and vaccination programmes
reduces that risk. This strategy also includes cervical screening letters being sent out every
, 3 to 5 years (depending on the age group). This then encourages women to be vigilant in
having their screening tests done and lowers cervical cancer risk. (NHS Choices, 2021)
(Public Health England, 2015)
The NHS offers many screening tests, such as pregnancy screening tests; these include
screenings for downs syndrome and sickle cell disease. These tests are useful in detecting
if the baby will have these conditions, the results can then be used to form a care plan for
when the baby is born allowing them to have the best possible care. (NHS Choices, 2021)
Reducing the rates of illnesses such as HPV ultimately saves the NHS money if illness and
disease can be prevented, and it could take some strain off the NHS. Along with this, the
test results can assist in the NHS spotting symptoms and possible triggers for the
conditions, and ultimately helping more people in the future.
A policy and strategy in place in the UK is the HPV vaccine being offered to young people
from 12 to 13 years old in schools. This is in place to prevent cervical cancer, some mouth,
throat, head and neck cancers, some cancers of the anal and genital areas, and prevent
genital warts. The vaccine involves one vaccine being given and then a top-up vaccine
given 6 to 24 months after the first, this is to keep the vaccine active and to continue
protection.
The vaccine was initially only given to girls; this was changed in 2018 to extend to every
one of the same age; this is based on the fact that all genders can also develop types of
HPV. (NHS Choices, 2021)
From the evidence gathered, we can see the vaccination should have been given to all
genders from the beginning of the vaccine implementation. If both parties are vaccinated, it
could eliminate HPV, or at least reduce the rates significantly. An example of this is the
smallpox vaccination; smallpox was eradicated from the world due to the vaccination
programme which WHO put in place (Who, 2018). If the HPV vaccine was given to
everyone, this could be the case as well. This should have been done originally because
HPV can be passed onto another person if they are a HPV carrier. HPV is a communicable
disease and is the leading cause of cancers such as cervical cancer.
According to the Oxford Vaccination Group, over 99% of cervical cancers are caused by
HPV infection. Two high-risk types of HPV, 16 and HPV 18, are responsible for nearly 75%
of all cervical cancers in Europe. Cervical cancer kills around 900 women every year in the
UK. HPV types 6 and 11 are responsible for around 90% of the cases of genital warts
(Oxford, 2015).
Minimising the Harm of Environmental Factors
Finally, a third strategy includes minimising the harm of environmental factors.
