Unit 8: Addressing Health Inequalities

Unit 8: Addressing Health Inequalities

Despite significant advances in public health in the UK over the past century there remains inequalities in health status across the country. Public health addresses all areas relating to the health and wellbeing of our communities. It covers an extremely wide remit and addresses issues such as air pollution, obesity, climate change and smoking, to name but a few. These are issues that affect not only the individual but wider populations as well. Public health is monitored by government groups who develop influential legislation aimed at improving the health of the nation. Public health remains the responsibility of all and is significantly influenced by pressure groups across society. The development of strategies aimed at reduction and prevention of disease is targeted at different levels across communities. In this unit, students will explore current public health issues and will develop understanding of the factors that influence differences in health status across populations. Students will analyse different types and levels of intervention in health protections. Health protection and the reduction of disease is an important public health role and students will review how healthcare professionals prevent and control the spread of disease. This unit will support progression to more senior roles with allied health professionals working in public health and can also support progression to continuing higher education in public health and health promotion-related degrees.

Learning Outcomes By the end of this unit students will be able to:

1 Explore the factors that contribute to current public health issues in own nation

2 Explain the different levels of public health intervention

3 Review national strategies aimed at reduction or prevention of disease

4 Explore the role of healthcare professionals in preventing and controlling the spread of disease.