Public Health
Public health is the practice of preventing disease, injury, and disability; protecting people from disease outbreaks and public health threats; and promoting policies, practices, and conditions that support good health. With a primary focus on wellness and prevention, public health is a cost-effective means of addressing health at a population level, often well before individual problems become acute.
Public Health in Connecticut
The Department of Public Health (DPH) is designated by Connecticut law as the lead agency for statewide health planning activities. Responsibility for overall protection of the public’s health rests with the Commissioner of Public Health. Directors of Local Health are assigned agents of the Commissioner, who engage in public health activities at the local level and receive training, certification, technical assistance, and specialty services from DPH.
Every Connecticut resident is served by one of the 65 Health Departments and Districts, 53 Full-time, 12 Part-time, 33 Municipal Health Departments and 20 Health Districts, serving 96.5% of CT’s population. There are also 2 tribal health departments within the state.
To find your local health department, click here.
Examples of Local Health Departments Services
- Inspecting food service establishments, salons, lodging establishments, public pools, groups homes, and day care centers;
- Reviewing and approving plans for septic systems and wells;
- Conducting lead investigations, mold and indoor air quality investigations, beach water and shellfish sampling, and rabies investigations;
- Providing health education and community outreach on topics including maternal and child health, asthma, and sexually transmitted diseases;
- Monitoring for reportable diseases (e.g., tuberculosis) through surveillance, report analysis, case investigation and coordination in an effort to reduce disease transmission in local communities and throughout the state; and
- Conducting surveillance for potential bioterrorism agents, responding to a flu pandemic, and preparing responses to emergency situations.
FAQ and Resources
The Vital Role of Public Health - FAQ
What are Some Resources that Describe the Vital Role of Public Health?
Operational Definition of a Functional Local Health Department
The National Association of County and City Health Officials(NACCHO) produced the Operational Definition of a Functional Local Health Department. The Operational Definition consists of 10 functions and 45 standards that define the competencies citizens can reasonably expect from their local health department.
APHA’s “What is Public Health?”
The American Public Health Association (APHA) has drafted a one-page document called What is Public Health? that briefly defines public health, explains who does it and why it’s important, and provides examples of it.
This is Public Health Fact Sheet
The Association of Schools of Public Health launched the “This Is Public Health” Campaign to promote public health awareness nationwide. Their This is Public Health fact sheet is intended to convey key messages about the contributions of public health to media, community leaders, and other audiences.
Public Health and Health Equity
NACCHO produced Developing Policies to Advance Health Equity: The Role of Public Health, which, among other things, explores how public health officials can act to promote health equity in their communities.
Healthy People 2030
Healthy People 2030 provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Healthy People establishes benchmarks and monitors progress over time to encourage collaborations across sectors, guide individuals toward making informed health decisision, and measure the impact of prevention activities.
How are Local Health Departments Funded?
Local health departments in Connecticut are funded by municipal contributions, state per capita funds, grant funds, federal funds, and department revenues. Connecticut is ranked 33rd in the nation for state funding of public health (Trust for America’s Health State Health Data, 2017), despite the critical need to invest in disease prevention and health promotion.
Where Can I Learn More?
APHA
The American Public Health Association (APHA) created a short film to outline how public health is vital to creating the healthiest nation in one generation.
NACCHO
The National Association Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) created a short film about the vital and heroic role of public health.
Public Health Resources
Where Can I Find Connecticut Public Health Data?
Trust for America’s Health
Connecticut-specific public health facts are available from Trust for America’s Health, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Connecticut data are available from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984.
Where Can I Find Public Health Legal Resources?
CDC Public Health Law Program
The Public Health Law Program is designed, among other things, to improve the understanding and use of law as a public health tool and to develop the legal preparedness of the public health system to address all public health priorities .
Who are the Governmental Public Health Entities in Connecticut?
Local Health Departments
Connecticut is currently home to 65 local health departments and districts. To find your local health department, click here.
State Department of Public Health
For more information about Connecticut’s Department of Public Health, click here.
What Statutes and Regulations Govern Public Health in Connecticut?
Public Health Code
The Department of Public Health Regulations is a compilation of the regulations promulgated by the Department of Public Health and includes the Public Health Code mandated pursuant to Section 19a-36 of the General Statutes of Connecticut.
Commissioner of Public Health
Municipal Health Authorities
Sections 19a-200 through 239 of the General Statutes of Connecticut pertain to Municipal Health authorities.
District Departments of Health
Find helpful information at the following link: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Departments.
CADH
The Connecticut Association of Directors of Health