10 Essentials of Public Health

The 10 Essential Public Health Services framework was developed in 1994 by a federal working group. It serves as the description of the activities that public health systems should undertake in all communities. The framework has provided a roadmap of goals for carrying out the mission of public health in communities around the nation. As a public health professional, we are trained to perform one or more of these ten essential services:

1. Monitor the health status of a community to identify potential problems
2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and hazards in the community
3. Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues, particularly the underserved and those at risk
4. Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems
5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts
6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
7. Link people to needed personal health services and ensure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
8. Ensure a competent public health and personal health care workforce
9. Evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services
10. Research new insights and innovative solutions to health problems