SUB. PUBLIC HEALTH
Major: Hospital Management
PUBLIC HEALTH
Lecture:- 2
Rise of Public Health
Industrial Revolution in (18th Century) & spread out numerous problems.
Creation of slums, overcrowding with all ill effects, accumulation of fifth in the cities & town, high sickness & death rates, specially among women & children. Infectious diseases like tuberculosis, industrial and social problems which detonate the health of the people.
Edwin Chadwick, a lawyer 1832, investigates the health of the inhabitants of the large town with a view to improve their health condition.
Report on sanitary conditions of labouring population in Great Britain. This is a landmark in the history of public health.
Report focussed the attention of the people and government to improve the housing and working condition with swage disposal i.e. urgent need to improve public health.
This is great sanitary awakening - led to the “Public Health Act” of 1848 in England.
New thinking began to take shape i.e. the state has a direct responsibility for the health of the people.
“Cholera” which is often called the “father of public health” appeared in epidemic form.
An English Epidemiologist, “John Snow” studied in (1848-1954) the epidemiology of Cholera & established the role of polluted drinking water in the spread of cholera.
In 1856, William Budd, another pioneer by careful observation of an outbreak of Typhoid fever, concluded that the spread was by drinking water, not by miasma & sewer gas.
Causative agents of Cholera & Typhoid fever were not identified & then came the demand from people for clean water.
A legislation was brought into force in England. The “Public Health Act” of 1875 for the control of man’s physical environment.
Sanitary reforms was done by “Sir John Simon the first medical officer of health of London. He built up system of public health in England.
Early phase of public health was mainly concern general cleanliness, garbage & refuse disposal and supply of clean water.
