Challenge 1: What is the purpose and what are the core functions of the public health system?

Learning targets and activities for the challenge.

View & Complete

• Answer the questions in each “Knowledge Check” when prompted in this CDC webinar “Introduction to Public Health” (TOPICS 1-3, minutes 0:00 - 23:53 only)

Reflect & Write/Discuss

• The speaker described “A Public Health Approach” to combating diseases. Identify ways the public health system used the 4-step approach (listed below) to combat COVID-19. List 1-3 ways for each step using data as evidence to support your claim.
  • Surveillance
  • Risk-factor identification
  • Intervention/Evaluation Implementation

Share

• Your results in class.

Review the Core Sciences

Describe some of the ways the public health system has combated the coronavirus using each of these core sciences. Identify 1-3 ways for each:

• Prevention
• Epidemiology
• Laboratory
• Informatics
• Surveillance

Share

• Your results with classmates.

Reflect, Write, & Discuss

• The speaker says “At the core of public health is a principle of ‘social justice’, that people have the right to be healthy and live in conditions to support their health.” Today, some people see public health as a “privilege” instead of a “right.”
  
  
• What is the difference?
  
  
• Do you think our public health system operates as a privilege or a right? Use at least 3 sources with evidence to support your claim.
  
  
• Do you agree or disagree that the US public health system was prepared for the coronavirus pandemic? Why or why not? Use at least 3 sources with evidence to support your claim.

View & Complete

• Answer the questions in each “Knowledge Check” when prompted in Part Two of this CDC webinar “Introduction to Public Health” (TOPICS 4-6, minute 23:53-52:05)

Reflect, Research, & Discuss

The speaker highlights historic policy decisions made to protect the public health, including writing health codes, adopting tobacco laws and food labeling.

• What are some of the policy decisions made to protect the public health during the COVID pandemic? Use at least 3 sources of evidence to support your claim.

Complete the Table

• In groups, fill in the information: Consult federal, state and local government websites to identify the responsibilities for the three major functions of public health systems at each of these levels. Record your findings on a chart like the one shown.

Share & Discuss

• Your results.

Reflect & Write

• Compare and contrast what you think the core systems of government should be doing with what the systems are doing. Identify the gaps.
• What are some possible solutions to reconcile what the core systems of government should be doing with what they are doing?

Find out & Discuss

Create a table (spreadsheet) on which to record information that answers the Questions (1-4) for the federal agencies listed below.

• Department of Health and Human Services (H
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

1. What are the core functions of the agency?
2. Who is the current head of the agency?
3. Describe what the agency is doing to combat the coronavirus
4. Is the head of the agency appointed by the President? If yes, how might that affect policies and decision-making about how to defeat the coronavirus?