public health

noun

1. health services to improve and protect community health, especially sanitation, immunization, and preventive medicine.

Other Word Forms

• public-health adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of public health¹

First recorded in 1610–20

Example Sentences

“If you’re putting out a report that’s supposed to address how to help our children stay healthier, and you’re not even mentioning the No. 1 cause of childhood deaths, you ought to be embarrassed,” said Bruce Mirken, a spokesperson for Defend Public Health, a volunteer coalition of scientists, healthcare workers and other public health professionals launched this year to push back on disinformation and funding cuts.

From Los Angeles Times

But they’re definitely a tool of public health to keep all kinds of people safe.

From Slate

Something public health people say a lot is, “When we’re doing our job right, you don’t see us.”

From Slate

With climate change ushering in stronger and longer heat waves, a growing body of evidence suggests that excessive heat has become a public health crisis.

From Los Angeles Times

County residents seeking care for COVID-related illness, or who have been hospitalized, “is quite a bit lower than during summer surges in 2023 and 2024,” the county’s Department of Public Health said.

From Los Angeles Times