Abstract – Folkhälsostämman 2012 - Statens folkhälsoinstitut

chAllengeS FOr PublIc heAlth In chAngIng tImeS
Professor Lindsey M Davies
President, uK Faculty of Public health
Public health is the science and art of promoting health and well-being, preventing illhealth
and prolonging life through the organised efforts of society. This is a straightforward,
albeit challenging, definition which has stood the test of time. It encompasses
the concepts of evidence, judgment and action to meet the needs of whole populations.
But health and well-being needs are evolving constantly, as are the technologies and
approaches available to address them. Economic, social and environmental contexts
are rarely static and can sometimes change remarkably quickly: consider the banking
crisis, the ‘Arab spring’ and the recent Japanese nuclear disaster, for example. Some
health and wellbeing needs require an immediate response, whilst others can only be
addressed by concerted effort from many organisations over a sustained period of
time. How, then, should a society organise itself to protect and improve health and
well-being? What kind of public health systems are needed to inspire, initiate and
facilitate change? The nature and scale of a public health system will, of course, vary
with the size and location of the population it serves. A system designed to meet the
needs of a small local community or the employees of a single factory will be very different
from that required to serve a whole country or a multinational organisation.
Experience suggests, however, that all public health systems, wherever they are and
whatever the scale of the population served, are more likely to be successful if they
demonstrate some core characteristics. In this presentation, Professor Davies will propose
that public health systems should:
• Address all three domains of public health
• Engage the public, private and not-for-profit sectors
• Have strong political and operational leadership
• Incorporate clear accountabilities
• Include well-defined ‘levers’ for change
• Work transparently
• Interact with the public
• Encourage organisations – and individuals – to work together
• Develop, use and disseminate evidence
• Demand high standards of professional practice
• Pay serious attention to education and training
• Have sufficient resources – staff, skill mix and funds
• Welcome – and seek out – new players and new ideas
• Adapt rapidly to changing needs and environments
• Have the capacity to take a long term view
Participants will be invited to explore the validity of this proposition and to reflect
upon the extent to which public health systems with which they are familiar meet
these expectations.
ABSTRACT – FOLKHÄLSOSTÄMMAN 2012 7
FOLKHÄLSANS FRAmTIDA UTmANINGAR