Question

What are the various public health measures that you would suggest as safeguard against infectious diseases?

Answer 1

The collective steps required to sustain and improve population health as a whole may be regarded as public health. NHS workers provide some public health interventions, but a lot is supported by those employed in local government schools, transport, police and non-governmental organisations.

Complete answer:
The relative roles and obligations of individuals to take care of themselves and their families' welfare, as opposed to the roles and responsibilities of the state. Problems related to policies that can maintain or strengthen the general well being of the population, while at the same time inconveniencing many, or even harming a minority.

Few of these techniques are:

Personal and public hygiene maintenance: It is one of the most effective ways of avoiding infectious diseases. This measure requires the maintenance of a clean body, safe and balanced food intake, drinking clean water, etc. Proper handling of waste products, excreta, periodic washing, and disinfection of water bodies are part of public hygiene.

Isolation: It is important to keep the infected person in isolation to avoid the spread of airborne diseases such as pneumonia, chicken pox, tuberculosis, etc., in order to decrease the chances of transmitting these diseases.

Vaccination: By administering any agent that mimics the microbe within the body, vaccination is the defence of the body from communicable diseases. It helps to provide the body with passive immunisation. Several vaccines against many diseases are available, such as tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, etc.

Vector Eradication: Numerous diseases transmitted by vectors, such as malaria, filariasis, dengue, and chikungunya. Thus, by maintaining a safe environment and by avoiding mosquito breeding, these diseases can be avoided. By not allowing water to stagnate around residential areas, this can be accomplished.

Note: In order to maintain a safe climate, steps such as the daily cleaning of coolers, the use of mosquito nets and insecticides such as malathion in drains, ponds, etc. may also be taken. The introduction of larvivorous fish in ponds, such as Gambusia, also controls the reproduction of mosquito larvae in stagnant water.