Learn how populations are protected from disease, infection and disaster in this free online public healthcare course.

Health is a crucial aspect of our daily lives and public health focuses on the health of society as a whole. Governments and other agencies play a key role in improving people's wellbeing, preventing illness and infection and protecting the environment. This healthcare course explains how they perform the important task of protecting public health. We begin by introducing broadly accepted definitions of ‘public healthcare’ and look at the processes followed to formulate healthcare policy.

Cultural concepts underlie people's health concerns, which involve broader issues than just physical disease. We discuss the connections between religion and health and explain how medical and scientific organisations have become open to yoga and other spiritual practices in recent years as they strive to promote and preserve health. We will also define the concept of ‘health promotion’, which aims to empower people to exert greater control over areas of their lives that affect their physical and mental wellbeing.

The course examines the responsibilities of health promoters and the efforts required to overcome widespread poor-quality health services. We demonstrate that quality is a fundamental feature that must be incorporated into health systems. We then address the barriers that prevent members of the public from accessing healthcare. Finally, the course goes through the principles and protocols of disaster management, which protect public health in the event of disease or environmental disaster. Edukators London have designed this course for those interested in a career in public healthcare or anyone interested in healthcare policies. Sign up to learn how governments and organisations work together to protect society from infection, disease and environmental hazards.