Health programs focus on preventing disease and other adverse health conditions in order to improve the quality of life for all people. They reduce the financial and human costs that individuals, families, employers, medical facilities, communities and the nation would otherwise spend on medical treatment for common conditions like cancer, heart disease, tuberculosis, obesity and depression. Health promotion, health education and community-based approaches are key to implementing a successful public health program.
Effective public health programs require innovation to develop and test the evidence base; a limited technical package of a carefully selected group of high-priority, high-impact interventions that will achieve substantial and sustainable improvements in a particular risk factor or disease outcome; effective performance management through rigorous, real-time monitoring, evaluation and improvement; partnerships and coalitions with public and private organizations; communication of accurate and timely information to decision makers, the health care community, and the public to influence behavior change and engage civil society; and political commitment to obtain resources and support for implementation. Examples of successful public health programs include polio eradication, smallpox vaccination, tobacco control, and HIV/AIDS care and treatment.
Workplace health programs can encourage employees to make healthy choices and be more active in their daily lives, thus reducing the risks of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. These programs can include promoting healthy eating habits through the provision of healthy snacks in the breakroom and hosting health competitions that encourage physical activity.
A successful workplace health program can also help to reduce absenteeism and improve employee morale and productivity by boosting employee wellness. The health and wellness of employees is important to any organization, so a company can invest in its employees by offering these types of health and wellness initiatives.
Public health programs often address the social determinants of health, which are the economic, environmental, cultural and social factors that influence modifiable risk behaviors like smoking and unhealthy diets. They also target specific population groups with special needs such as vulnerable populations, children and adolescents, minorities and underserved areas.
Many public health programs are not adopted because of the “prevention paradox,” in which large benefits for a group come at a cost to each individual member of the group, such as increased vaccination rates or the removal of barriers to getting adequate and safe medication. To avoid this, leadership and communication are essential to achieving successful public health programs. The success of immunization campaigns and the reduction in the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB and other communicable diseases, for example, has been due to a strong focus on communication and partnership building. An exemplary model is the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).