|
|
Article: Planning for Public Health
- Article from:
- Encyclopedia of Public Health
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
PLANNING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
To "plan" means to form a scheme or method for doing or achieving something. In public health, as in most fields, planning is undertaken to determine the ways, means, and timetable by which specific goals and objectives can be achieved.
Planning in public health takes many forms. Whether within government or outside it, a planning process is employed to identify and organize the resources and actions necessary to safeguard and improve the public's health. Public health planning can occur at the municipal, state, regional, national, or international level. Goals are often defined by a specific health problem or concern (e.g., reduce heart disease, mental ...