The global pandemic has shown people across the globe just how important the field of public health is to our communities and families. Never before has it been so evident just how connected we all are. From a global marketplace thanks to technology, to our transportation, commerce, and even health, few would argue that what happens on one side of the planet won’t somehow result in a reaction felt across the world. For this reason, the field of public health has become increasingly important to understand. For a closer look at what public health is and a degree program where you can study it, read on.
Public Health Overview and Degree Program
Public health is a field that looks at the systemic ramifications of medical decisions, treatments, environments, policies, and more that impact a group of people’s overall physical and mental wellbeing. Otherwise put, public health is something that touches us all in one way or another and is critical for leaders and medical professionals to understand. As evidenced by the global pandemic, one person’s health can be enough to change the health of people all over the globe. Whether decisions need to be made around ethics, policies, regulations, communications, or transparency, those who work in public health play a key world in keeping communities healthy.
If you’re someone who’s always wanted to make a big impact on the world, a degree in public health could be a great way to start. Consider applying for an online BS public health degree program through the University of Cincinnati. UC’s Public Health program is a four-year, fully online program that could add up to your ability to advocate for and lead important social change.
The Importance of Studying Public Health
Without well-educated leaders to devote their careers to messaging, research, marketing, and decision-making around public health, the world would be at a higher risk of getting sick. Whether it be a pandemic like Covid-19, or when it comes to legal decisions around experimental drugs, toxins, and even pharmaceutical pricing, people with backgrounds in public health can be key to protecting communities.
Essential doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals have shown us how important our health is for nearly two years during the global pandemic. Equally important and sometimes also on the ground level, those with backgrounds in public health have played key roles in helping communities with tasks large and small like setting up vaccine clinics and working on consistent messaging. In other time periods, public health officials have been critical when it comes to educating the public about crisis situations or epidemics such as substance abuse, mental health, and HIV/AIDS awareness. Their work has helped save lives.
Systemic Connections and Consequences
While it might have once felt like someone living across the world wouldn’t have much in common with you, the global pandemic has made it clear that all humans are vulnerable and interconnected when it comes to physical and mental health. Though most people will never see more than one pandemic in a lifetime, the truth is that public health keeps us connected on a smaller scale, too. Sharing research, looking at ethics, and our ability to make decisions in a community’s best interest all come into play with public health. In short, we’re all in this together and will likely pay the price for poor decisions and be rewarded for our ability to work together.
At the end of the day, now that we fully understand how interconnected the world is, it’s understandable that anyone looking to make a change in the world would have an interest in studying public health. If that’s you, reach out to a public health program today. The world could use your help.
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