Question

1. What area or areas of Public Health Science appeal to you most? Why? **Be specific. DO NOT say "I like it" and leave it at that. 2. What area or areas of Public Health Science are least appealing to you? Why? **Be specific. DO NOT say "I don't like it" and leave it at that. 3. What do you feel are the four (4) biggest challenges facing public health/health care services in the United States? **Provide specific examples and research. DO NOT say, "Because people need health care and don't have 4. What are two (2) recommendations for solving any one of the four biggest challenges you noted in 3.7 **Provide specific recommendations. DO NOT say, "If people would pay for insurance, they would have it." That is obvious! But there are reasons that simple solution does not happen...tell me about those reasons.

Answer 1

1. The area of public health most appealing to me is epidemiology. Epidemiology is really interesting since it is all about the study and analysis of disease distribution, patterns, and determinants in defined populations. It also covers other health-related events. It is also about the application of this analysis to control diseases and other health issues. The epidemiological methodology is used for disease surveillance to identify important hazards. Thus it is of immense significance in public health and a really interesting subject to study.

2. The least appealing area of public health to me is health economics. Health economics deals with problems related to effectiveness, value, efficiency, and behavior in the creation and utilization of health and healthcare. Since it deals with the functioning of healthcare systems in detail from an economical perspective where financial information like cost, charges, and expenditures are evaluated it turns out to be the least appealing area.

3. Four biggest challenges facing public health/healthcare services in US:

• Reducing disease and mortality rate from avoidable chronic diseases. As per research reports US spends only 3 cents per dollar on an average on public health and prevention. Example is a lifestyle disease.
• Preventing infectious diseases. Significance of infectious diseases is given by the increase in rates of sexually transmitted diseases, healthcare-associated infections, and diseases such as hepatitis C, which affects 2-4 million people.

• Protecting drinking water from environmental health threats. This is all about maintaining a water supply that is among the safest in the world. Resources are needed to bolster the protection of these supplies from threats from multiple sources.

• Addressing the opioid crisis and preventing substance misuse and addiction. More than 60,000 deaths occurred in 2016 alone, and that represents more than 100 deaths every day. According to the report, “we will not treat our way out of this emergency” and “preventing addiction is the best way to end our nation’s current epidemic.”