Health programs are national and state-level efforts to address common health concerns. Whether focused on the flu, tobacco, gun violence, or healthy eating and food, these programs aim to provide the public with the tools they need to lead a healthy life. They may also help to prevent, mitigate or respond to disasters and public health emergencies. Many of these programs are run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The purpose of a health program is to protect individuals from illness, disease, injury and disability. The goal is to achieve this through a comprehensive set of measures that include the promotion of good health, the prevention and control of communicable diseases, and the promotion and maintenance of mental and emotional well-being.
HHS offers a number of health programs for people of all ages. The Basic Health Program provides health coverage to individuals who are citizens or lawfully present non-citizens with income below 133 percent of the federal poverty level, who do not qualify for Medicaid, and who cannot afford private insurance or other forms of minimum essential coverage. The agency also provides funding to support local community responses to disasters and public health emergencies, such as natural disasters, pandemics and other emergency situations.
Research programs focus on developing advanced skills in collecting, analyzing and interpreting data that are relevant to public health issues. They also involve a strong emphasis on working with defined populations to identify, understand and address specific health concerns. This includes identifying and monitoring diseases, conducting research into the effectiveness of interventions, and using cost-benefit analysis to determine the best ways to spend public health resources.
Health promotion programs reduce the amount of time, money and energy that individual, families, insurance companies, medical facilities and communities must invest in addressing illness, injury or disease. This is done by educating individuals to prevent or minimize the occurrence of health-related problems; teaching patients about their conditions and how to care for themselves; and developing educational methods and materials to improve health. This may be done in a health care setting or at a school or college level. It may also involve designing and implementing mass media campaigns or writing grants.