Caring for two toddlers during the pandemic felt like an impossible task, but I found comfort in the fact that raising children used to be much more challenging. In the early 20th century, infectious organisms in food and water caused the deaths of up to 30% of children before their first birthday. Back then, there were few solutions for illnesses like dehydration and diarrhea, with harmful bacteria in milk and morphine-laden syrups being the norm.
However, things have changed dramatically since then. Childhood deaths have become rare, and the average human lifespan has doubled, thanks to the remarkable achievements of public health. While medicine focuses on individual patient care, public health works to protect and improve the health of entire populations. It involves researching preventive measures, addressing health disparities, and dealing with disease outbreaks.
George Whipple, a co-founder of the Harvard School of Public Health, wrote in 1914 about the triumph of humans over microscopic enemies. Today, public health has surpassed even his expectations. However, despite its successes, public health has faced significant criticism during the current pandemic. Some are calling for its power to be curtailed, and even its strongest supporters are disappointed with how it has navigated the crisis.
While it is important to learn from mistakes, we must be cautious about undermining public health. The workforce is already burdened, and legislation and litigation are limiting the field’s ability to address health threats. Politicians have accused health experts of being wrong about everything, and there have been calls to eliminate key positions in public health. But we must remember that public health has had a remarkable track record in providing clean water, preventing lead poisoning in children, promoting tobacco cessation, and developing vaccines.
Public health saves lives and plays a vital role in protecting and improving our collective health. We must resist the urge to seek revenge on the field and instead recognize its accomplishments. While mistakes were made during the pandemic, public health also achieved significant successes, such as the rapid vaccination rollout, accessible antigen testing, and the lessons learned for future disease outbreaks.
It is a common pattern for Americans to undervalue public health compared to individual medicine. Most healthcare spending goes towards individual patient care. However, we must recognize that medicine alone cannot stop a pandemic or preserve population health. Public health has a crucial role in keeping communities safe from emerging pathogens, environmental toxins, and violence.
Unfortunately, challenges to public health are threatening to reverse its achievements. HIV/AIDS, measles, polio, and other diseases are resurfacing, and cases of syphilis are at a 70-year high. The criticism directed at public health post-pandemic could further weaken the field and hinder its ability to address these challenges.
Restrictions on public health powers and limitations imposed by politicians are detrimental to effective crisis management. We must not overlook the importance of public health and the vital role it plays in our well-being. Rather than focusing solely on its flaws, we should recognize and support its accomplishments.
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