A public health intervention is defined as a planned action to prevent or reduce a particular health problem or the determinants of the problem in a defined population. Most require some level of social interaction.
For many public health programs, implementation is essentially a management problem. Even if political commitment, resources, and a technical package are in place, effective management may not be. Management of public health activities is particularly difficult because, unlike in the private sector where feedback on performance, there is often no automatic, accurate, and affordable way to track public health program performance in real-time. In addition, the impact of public health programs may not be evident for months or years, further complicating the measurement of performance.
Effective public health programs require accurate, timely information systems for disease, and program implementation. For this reason, every effective technical package includes information systems that can be sustained and that provide accurate, simple, timely, and critical information on program implementation and impact over the long term.
Those who work in and support public health improve the health of individuals and communities. The greatest strength of public health is its singular focus on maximizing health so that society can achieve it.
