Public health's unseen efforts enhance daily life, from safe air and water to disease control, with the Gillings School leading vital innovations and responses.
… and there’s a good chance it went unnoticed.
Have you ever stopped in the middle of a daily task – commuting to work, cooking dinner, spending time with family or friends – and thought about just how many ways public health helped it happen? Probably not.
Working from home? Public health ensures that indoor air is free of harmful chemicals and water is safe to drink when you turn on the tap.
Going for a walk? Public health keeps pollution at bay and contributes to the design of walkways that are safe and accessible.
Driving to the store? Public health policies keep you safe in your car, keep lead out of your gasoline and show you ingredients in the food you buy.
Public health works in the liminal spaces and in the conscious choices we make each day: sending our kids to school with healthy food, taking daily medication or casting a ballot in a voting booth.
Public health works in the liminal spaces and in the conscious choices we make each day.
It also works in the communities and foundations of our society: the vaccines that have controlled diseases that once haunted our ancestors, the research that has uncovered the harms of tobacco or the technology that ensures our water is safe to drink.
It’s an ecosystem of ourselves, our neighbors, our health care providers and our governments. The greatest innovations in public health history are still benefiting us today, and the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health has proudly contributed to those achievements.
The greatest innovations in public health history are still benefiting us today.
And as you’ll see in this issue of Carolina Public Health, we’re still leading the charge in so many of these areas. The Gillings School is responding to natural disasters outside our doorstep, bringing a safety net of health and community in the face of storms and floods. We’re informing the design of warning labels on everything from cigarettes to junk food. We’re researching the best policies that can keep families healthy before, during and after pregnancy. And so much more.
Public health shines each time health improves and crises are averted. We are working hard behind the scenes so that you can have more moments with your family, more time to enjoy your hobbies and more facts to make informed choices. We are the silent partner constantly striving to make life better for all … even if you never notice.
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