National Public Health Week is celebrated the first full week of April every year. This year, we celebrate National Public Health Week April 4th – 10th. This is a time to recognize the contributions and achievements accomplished through the work of public health professionals. Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live. While a doctor treats sick or injured people, the focus of public health is to prevent people from getting sick or injured. This is done by promoting healthy lifestyles, implementing educational programs, developing policies, and administering services.
Public health professionals can assist in preventing sickness, promote healthy lifestyles and protect the health of people in many ways. Examples of public health efforts include preventing disease outbreaks by conducting case investigations with communicable diseases, preventing the spread of infectious diseases by administering vaccines, educating the public about healthier choices, ensuring safe food and water in communities, helping communities prepare for emergencies, promoting and educating on injury prevention, and much more.
Montgomery County Health Department works hard every day to fulfill the goals of public health. We offer all the required and recommended vaccines for children and adults to help prevent disease. We offer lead testing, tuberculosis testing and treatment, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment. We conduct infectious disease investigations when warranted. We offer the WIC clinic that provides nutritional support to children and women of childbearing age. We can test private well water to help prevent ingestion of harmful bacteria. We conduct sanitation inspections for all local food establishments, hotels, and daycares. We permit and inspect septic systems outside of the city limits to make sure the installations are following state and local codes. We offer educational programs to local youth on injury prevention and safety. These are just a few ways we fulfill our role in public health!
Public health improves our quality of life, helps children thrive and most importantly reduces human suffering. The Montgomery County Health Department loves taking care of your family, and works every day to protect, promote and improve health in our community. To learn more, call 573-564-2495 or visit us on Facebook.