THE 10 ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICESTo protect and promote the health of all people in all communities
The 10 Essential Public Health Services provide a framework for public health to protect and promote the health of all people in all communities. To achieve equity, the Essential Public Health Services actively promote policies, systems, and overall community conditions that enable optimal health for all and seek to remove systemic and structural barriers that have resulted in health inequities. Such barriers include poverty, racism, gender discrimination, ableism, and other forms of oppression. Everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to achieve optimal health and well-being.
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #1Assess and monitor population health status, factors that influence health, and community needs and assets
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #3 Communicate effectively to inform and educate people about health, factors that influence it, and how to improve it
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #6 Utilize legal and regulatory actions designed to improve and protect the public’s health
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #7Assure an effective system that enables equitable access to the individual services and care needed to be healthy
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #9Improve and innovate public health functions through ongoing evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #10Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #8Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #5 Create, champion, and implement policies, plans, and laws that impact health
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #4Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #2Investigate, diagnose, and address health problems and hazards affecting the population
Created 2020
2Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #1
Assess and monitor population health status, factors that influence health, and community needs and assets
• Maintaining an ongoing understanding of health in the jurisdiction by collecting, monitoring, and analyzing data on health and factors that influence health to identify threats, patterns, and emerging issues, with a particular emphasis on disproportionately affected populations
• Using data and information to determine the root causes of health disparities and inequities
• Working with the community to understand health status, needs, assets, key influences, and narrative
• Collaborating and facilitating data sharing with partners, including multi-sector partners
• Using innovative technologies, data collection methods, and data sets
• Utilizing various methods and technology to interpret and communicate data to diverse audiences
• Analyzing and using disaggregated data (e.g., by race) to track issues and inform equitable action
• Engaging community members as experts and key partners
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
3Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #2
Investigate, diagnose, and address health problems and hazards affecting the population
• Anticipating, preventing, and mitigating emerging health threats through epidemiologic identification
• Monitoring real-time health status and identifying patterns to develop strategies to address chronic diseases and injuries
• Using real-time data to identify and respond to acute outbreaks, emergencies, and other health hazards
• Using public health laboratory capabilities and modern technology to conduct rapid screening and high-volume testing
• Analyzing and utilizing inputs from multiple sectors and sources to consider social, economic, and environmental root causes of health status
• Identifying, analyzing, and distributing information from new, big, and real-time data sources
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
4Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #3
Communicate effectively to inform and educate people about health, factors that influence it, and how to improve it
• Developing and disseminating accessible health information and resources, including through collaboration with multi-sector partners
• Communicating with accuracy and necessary speed
• Using appropriate communications channels (e.g., social media, peer-to-peer networks, mass media, and other channels) to effectively reach the intended populations
• Developing and deploying culturally and linguistically appropriate and relevant communications and educational resources, which includes working with stakeholders and influencers in the community to create effective and culturally resonant materials
• Employing the principles of risk communication, health literacy, and health education to inform the public, when appropriate
• Actively engaging in two-way communication to build trust with populations served and ensure accuracy and effectiveness of prevention and health promotion strategies
• Ensuring public health communications and education efforts are asset-based when appropriate and do not reinforce narratives that are damaging to disproportionately affected populations
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
5Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #4
Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships to improve health
• Convening and facilitating multi-sector partnerships and coalitions that include sectors that influence health (e.g., planning, transportation, housing, education, etc.)
• Fostering and building genuine, strengths-based relationships with a diverse group of partners that reflect the community and the population
• Authentically engaging with community members and organizations to develop public health solutions
• Learning from, and supporting, existing community partnerships and contributing public health expertise
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
6Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #5
Create, champion, and implement policies, plans, and laws that impact health
• Developing and championing policies, plans, and laws that guide the practice of public health
• Examining and improving existing policies, plans, and laws to correct historical injustices
• Ensuring that policies, plans, and laws provide a fair and just opportunity for all to achieve optimal health
• Providing input into policies, plans, and laws to ensure that health impact is considered
• Continuously monitoring and developing policies, plans, and laws that improve public health and preparedness and strengthen community resilience
• Collaborating with all partners, including multi-sector partners, to develop and support policies, plans, and laws
• Working across partners and with the community to systematically and continuously develop and implement health improvement strategies and plans, and evaluate and improve those plans
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
7Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #6
Utilize legal and regulatory actions designed to improve and protect the public’s health
• Ensuring that applicable laws are equitably applied to protect the public’s health
• Conducting enforcement activities that may include, but are not limited to sanitary codes, especially in the food industry; full protection of drinking water supplies; and timely follow-up on hazards, preventable injuries, and exposure-related diseases identified in occupational and community settings
• Licensing and monitoring the quality of healthcare services (e.g., laboratory, nursing homes, and home healthcare)
• Reviewing new drug, biologic, and medical device applications
• Licensing and credentialing the healthcare workforce
• Including health considerations in laws from other sectors (e.g., zoning)
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
8Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #7
Assure an effective system that enables equitable access to the individual services and care needed to be healthy
• Connecting the population to needed health and social services that support the whole person, including preventive services
• Ensuring access to high-quality and cost-effective healthcare and social services, including behavioral and mental health services, that are culturally and linguistically appropriate
• Engaging health delivery systems to assess and address gaps and barriers in accessing needed health services, including behavioral and mental health
• Addressing and removing barriers to care
• Building relationships with payers and healthcare providers, including the sharing of data across partners to foster health and well-being
• Contributing to the development of a competent healthcare workforce
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
9Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #8
Build and support a diverse and skilled public health workforce
• Providing education and training that encompasses a spectrum of public health competencies, including technical, strategic, and leadership skills
• Ensuring that the public health workforce is the appropriate size to meet the public’s needs
• Building a culturally competent public health workforce and leadership that reflects the community and practices cultural humility
• Incorporating public health principles in non-public health curricula
• Cultivating and building active partnerships with academia and other professional training programs and schools to assure community-relevant learning experiences for all learners
• Promoting a culture of lifelong learning in public health
• Building a pipeline of future public health practitioners
• Fostering leadership skills at all levels
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
10Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #9
Improve and innovate public health functions through ongoing evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement
• Building and fostering a culture of quality in public health organizations and activities
• Linking public health research with public health practice
• Using research, evidence, practice-based insights, and other forms of information to inform decision-making
• Contributing to the evidence base of effective public health practice
• Evaluating services, policies, plans, and laws continuously to ensure they are contributing to health and not creating undue harm
• Establishing and using engagement and decision-making structures to work with the community in all stages of research
• Valuing and using qualitative, quantitative, and lived experience as data and information to inform decision-making
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
11Created 2020
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE #10
Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health
• Developing an understanding of the broader organizational infrastructures and roles that support the entire public health system in a jurisdiction (e.g., government agencies, elected officials, and non-governmental organizations)
• Ensuring that appropriate, needed resources are allocated equitably for the public’s health
• Exhibiting effective and ethical leadership, decision-making, and governance
• Managing financial and human resources effectively
• Employing communications and strategic planning capacities and skills
• Having robust information technology services that are current and meet privacy and security standards
• Being accountable, transparent, and inclusive with all partners and the community in all aspects of practice
THIS SERVICE INCLUDES:
Created 2020
The 10 Essential Public Health Services
Glossary
Community is a group of people who have common characteristics; communities can be defined by
location, race, ethnicity, age, occupation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other similar
common bonds. Ideally, there would be available assets and resources, as well as collective discussion,
decision-making and action. (Turnock, BJ. Public Health: What It Is and How It Works. Jones and Bartlett,
2009)
Equity is defined as a fair and just opportunity for all to achieve good health and well-being. This requires
removing obstacles to health such as poverty and discrimination and their consequences, including
powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe
environments, and healthcare. It also requires attention to health inequities, which are differences in
population health status and mortality rates that are systemic, patterned, unjust, and actionable, as
opposed to random or caused by those who become ill.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease
or infirmity. The bibliographic citation for this definition is: Preamble to the Constitution of WHO as adopted
by the International Health Conference, New York, 19 June – 22 July 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the
representatives of 61 States (Official Records of WHO, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April
1948. The definition has not been amended since 1948.
Healthcare sector is defined as entities that provide clinical services, mental health services, oral health
services, provide or pay for services for individuals, or facilitate the provision of services to individuals.
Entities in this sector may include hospitals, health systems, health plans, health centers, behavioral health
providers, oral health providers, etc.Law(s) refer to the aggregate of statutes, ordinances, regulations,
rules, judicial decisions, and accepted legal principles that the courts of a particular jurisdiction apply in
deciding controversies brought before them. The law consists of all legal rights, duties, and obligations that
can be enforced by the government (or one of its agencies) and the means and procedures for enforcing
them. (Garner, B.A. editor. Black’s Law Dictionary. 8th ed. West Group; 2004)
Law(s) refer to the aggregate of statutes, ordinances, regulations, rules, judicial decisions, and accepted
legal principles that the courts of a particular jurisdiction apply in deciding controversies brought before
them. The law consists of all legal rights, duties, and obligations that can be enforced by the government
(or one of its agencies) and the means and procedures for enforcing them. (Garner, B.A. editor. Black’s
Law Dictionary. 8th ed. West Group; 2004)
Population health is the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such
outcomes within the group. The field of population health includes health outcomes, patterns of health
determinants, and policies and interventions that link these two. Population health approaches are
community or policy non-clinical approaches that aim to improve health and wellbeing of a group of
individuals. This differs from population health management which refers to improving clinical health
outcomes of individuals through improved care coordination and patient engagement supported by
appropriate financial and care models. (Adapted from Kindig and Stoddart).
Created 2020
The 10 Essential Public Health Services
Glossary
Public health is defined as the science of protecting the safety and improving the health of communities
through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention. (CDC Foundation).
Research is a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed
to develop or contribute to generalized knowledge. (United States Department of Health and Human
Services. Healthy People 2020. Washington, DC)
– Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach to research that
equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that
each brings. CBPR begins with a research topic of importance to the community, has the aim of
combining knowledge with action and achieving social change to improve health outcomes and
eliminate health disparities. (W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Community Health Scholars Program, 2001
quotes from Minkler M, and Wallerstein N, editors. Community-Based Participatory Research for
Health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.; 2003)
To view the complete 10 Essential Public Health Services, visit https://phnci.org/uploads/resource-
files/EPHS-English.pdf.
