Health interventions may be run by a variety of organizations, including
health departments and private organizations. Such interventions can operate at various scales, but these interventions do not reach individuals simultaneously or to equal extent.
Vaccination Vaccination programs are one of the most effective and common types of public health interventions. Typically programs may be in the form of recommendations or run by
governmental health departments or nationalised health care systems. For instance, in the U.S., the
Center for Disease Control decides on a vaccination schedule, and most private health insurers cover these vaccinations. In the UK, the
NHS both decides and implements vaccination protocols.
NGOs also may be involved in funding or implementing vaccination programs; for instance
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation assists governments in Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan with the administration of
polio vaccination. Vaccine related public health interventions may also involve improving access to vaccination. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials started the "Shots at the Shop" initiative, which taught barbers and stylists how to deliver health information about the vaccine while also offering vaccinations within barbershops itself.
Supplementation Supplementation of
food or water of nutrients can reduce
vitamin deficiency and other diseases. Supplementation may be required by law or voluntary. Some examples of interventions include: •
Iodised salt to prevent
goitre. •
Folic acid in wheat flour to prevent
spina bifida, a birth defect. •
Fluoridated water to prevent
tooth decay. •
Vitamin D milk to prevent
rickets.
Behavioural Interventions intended to change the behaviour of individuals can be especially challenging. One such form is
health promotion, where
education and
media may be used to promote healthy behaviours, such as eating healthy foods (to prevent
obesity), using
condoms (to prevent the transmission of
STDs), or stopping
open defecation in
developing countries (see for example in India the campaign
Swachh Bharat Mission). The use of laws to criminalise certain behaviours can also be considered a public health intervention, such as
mandatory vaccination programs and
criminalisation of HIV transmission. Laws which tax certain unhealthy products may also be effective, although also not without controversy, and are sometimes called a "
sin tax". Examples include the
taxation of tobacco products in the U.S. and New Zealand, and
sugared drinks in the UK.
Structural Structural interventions address underlying social, political, and economic determinants of health.
Educational Educational public health interventions address the "information gap" that many public health issues have. Specifically, they try to improve overall health systems by promoting the understanding of health-related behaviors and disease prevention, among other topics. With the advent of technology, these interventions oftentimes occur within digital formats as well as physical initiatives. Similar to other types of interventions, educational interventions can be done by governmental initiatives or NGOs. Some examples of educational interventions include: • Educating the public on disease prevention methods like washing hands • Community workshops around pregnancy needs in rural areas • Training Chicago high school students on health information to try to improve health equity in local communities • Utilizing Black churches to increase community health outreach information • == Impact ==