concept and Scope of Community Health
Introduction
Community health is also known as public health, community medicine, or social medicine. Community health is considered the science of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health and efficiency through an organized community effort. The community effort may be on environmental sanitation, control of communicable diseases, education in personal hygiene, organization of health services, and so on. It is the application of hygiene to the community through united community efforts. In the past, community health emphasized only cleanliness. But today, community health deals with preventive, curative, and promotive health, as well as rehabilitation.
In the community, many health problems are observed. Therefore, no one can independently solve the problems. We must depend on others to get services and facilities to maintain our health. As a result, community health exists in society.
Most of the developing countries spend a huge sum of money on the curative aspect of health. Nepal is not an exception. In our country, the majority of the people live in rural areas where most of the health services and facilities are still to be managed.
Importance of community health
It has already been mentioned that community health can only be achieved through our joint efforts. The importance of community health can be traced in the following explanations:
creation of a healthy environment
The prevalence of most communicable diseases is due to poor sanitation. Most people throw their waste products in the open streets, which will create the problem of poor sanitation. If we study community health, we analyze community health problems and methods of controlling them. However, the problem of environmental sanitation is not only concerned with an individual. Therefore, we must keep our environment clean through our own efforts because it is our common concern.
b. preparation of healthy human resources
Only a healthy individual is established as a healthy human resource. One can achieve good health by following healthy habits and health rules. Health rules must be followed not only at home but also in the community. If an individual is following health rules but his community members are not, it is very difficult to achieve good health. Therefore, all the community members must follow health rules to achieve good health. This can only be known by studying community health.
Availability of health services
Most people in our country live in rural communities where traditional practices still exist. If their behaviors are not improved, achieving good health is very difficult. Therefore, health services must be provided to all community members to improve community health. At the same time, community members must be involved in community health services so that traditional people can accept modern health services.
d) Encouragement for social services
It is frequently observed in our communities that local clubs are involved in social services. They organize health camps, cleanliness campaigns, and many different activities. When they benefit from those activities, they are praised by the community members. If people knew the main secret to achieve community health
Through their joint effort, they will be involved in such activities as the establishment of the Nepal Red Cross Society, the Nepal Paropakar Association, local health clinics, and clubs, which are some examples of such efforts.
e. decrease in mortality and morbidity in the community
Community health helps people to fight diseases together, and hence disease frequencies are lowered in the community. This also reduces various mortalities, such as infant mortality and maternal mortality.
f. Increase in the lifespan of people
The combined efforts in establishing health services, being aware of practices, and supporting each other in fighting diseases lead to an increased life expectancy among people.
scope of community health
Community health comprises a wide range of activities and programs relating to the assessment of people's health and health programs, planning and implementing health promotional programs, and evaluating the outcomes through people's joint efforts. The range of operations of health programs in the community is termed the scope of community health. The scope of community health is unlimited. Physical, biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual factors are directly or indirectly related to people's health. Community health is concerned with the health status of population groups and communities. Therefore, its scope is also related to the health activities of the nation. The scope of community health can be described below.
a. Supervise the distribution of food, water, and milk.
The health of community members is affected by many factors, such as sanitation, food, water, milk, and so on. Healthy and hygienic foods, water, and milk help maintain good health. On the other hand, adulterated food and contaminated water adversely affect our health. Water supply, especially in urban areas, is a burning issue. The government cannot assure the people about the supply of adequate and safe drinking water. Similarly, the development of professionalism increases the risk associated with dairy products, which cannot be fully trusted. They should be supervised by the community itself to safeguard their health. Therefore, it becomes a matter of community health.
b. Control of vectors
The vectors, which carry diseases, are also harmful to our health. Poor sanitation makes a favorable environment for mosquitoes, flies, and other parasites to breed. They carry causative agents from one place to another.
One of the potential vectors of many diseases is houseflies. Flies transmit microorganisms on their feet and hairy legs. Similarly, their vomit drops and defecation are also responsible for transmitting many diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, helminthic infestation, and so on. Likewise, mosquitoes are also important vectors for spreading many diseases like malaria, filarial, Japanese encephalitis, dengue, etc.
The best way to control houseflies, mosquitoes, and other vectors is to eliminate their breeding places and bring about an overall improvement in environmental sanitation on a community-wide basis. The participation of community members can help conduct awareness programs to improve environmental sanitation. These efforts are required to maintain and develop community health.
Control of air, water, soil, and noise pollution
Most pollution is caused by human activities. The disposal of sewage, excrement, and industrial waste pollutes water and land. Similarly, the emissions from vehicles and industries pollute the air. Water pollution spreads waterborne diseases, whereas air pollution spreads airborne diseases. Likewise, the sources of sound pollution—automobiles, industries, aircraft, etc.—may cause mental stress. Pollution should be controlled so we can live healthy lives. Control programs can succeed.
when people's participation is ensured. Therefore, it has also become part of community health.
d. prevention and control of communicable diseases
Most of the communities in our nation are facing the problem of the prevalence of communicable diseases. The mortality rate becomes high due to this reason. Even preventable communicable diseases, which have been almost eradicated in developed nations, are also major problems in Nepal. Lack of health education, poor sanitation, and a poor lifestyle are the major concerns of this sector. If we improve the situation in terms of sanitation and lifestyle, it can help to improve community health.
e. prevention and control of malnutrition
Generally, people consider malnutrition as undernutrition only. But this is not true. In addition to this, overnutrition due to a deficiency of micronutrients is also said to be malnutrition. Poverty, ignorance, superstition, poor food habits, the problem of food distribution, etc. are the major problems regarding the acquisition of adequate nutrients from food. Agriculture development, income generation, development of transport, balanced distribution of foods, nutrition education, etc. can contribute a lot to solving the problem of malnutrition. Community health programs can make a great contribution to this matter.
f. Prevention of accidents and injuries
The number of different accidents and injuries is gradually increasing throughout the
world. Accidents such as road accidents, burns, poisoning, electric shock, and drowning
are the major cause of the untimely deaths of people. Accidents also make people handicapped. If we use safety measures, the incidence of accidents can be significantly reduced. This may help improve community health.
g. Study of health areas
The study of health is also considered part of the scope of community health. Hospitals' health posts, sub-health posts, primary health centers, and national and international organizations of health come under the area of health education. The study also helps to know about the production of health manpower and personnel.
h. Reproductive health
Reproductive health helps provide safe motherhood services, counseling services to couples to enjoy happy family life, teen-friendly services to develop healthy attitudes toward sexual health, and so on. It is now considered one of the major aspects of health education.
i. Prevention of drug abuse
The problem of drug abuse is especially prevalent among young people. If the situation is not managed in time, it will create a major accident in community health. Neither they can learn the necessary skills for their lives nor can they get a job for their survival. Therefore, different programs for addressing the problem should be launched in different sectors so that young people can be saved for the future. To do so, young people should be made aware of the issues. Similarly, they should be given life skills education to teach them to say no to drug use.
j.Environmental Health
Environmental health is also a major scope of community health. A healthy environment contributes to promoting public health. If we keep our environment clean, we can prevent many diseases. Therefore, people must know how to make wise use of environmental resources.
k. Personal hygiene
Personal hygiene includes the cleanliness of the body, hands, feet, nails, hair, etc. It also includes healthy food habits and food hygiene. If we improve our personal hygiene, we can prevent many communicable diseases. This will reduce the expenses on medicines and health services. As a result, we can spend the saved money on other necessities. Therefore, personal hygiene is also considered an important aspect of community health.
l. Sports and entertainment
Involvement in sports and entertainment will provide an outlet for many mental stresses.
Similarly, an individual can develop physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects from participating in these activities. These activities are also considered three-time activities. One of the major problems in the community is the prevalence of many non-communicable diseases. Participation in games makes our bodies fit as well as prevents many non-communicable diseases. We can develop cooperation, discipline, the feeling of competition, friendship, etc. by participating in games and sports. Therefore, these activities should also be considered within the scope of community health.
Preparedness for disasters and risk reduction
Disasters do not come with prior notice, so we must always be aware of the possibility of their occurrence. Simulation practice and awareness and training programs should frequently be initiated to prevent epidemics and further risks. This kind of activity is called preparedness. People's participation should be ensured to launch preparedness programs where many people and organizations are mobilized.
In addition to the above-mentioned areas, mental health, oral health, a school health program, occupational health, health research, and health planning are also considered.