The strength of a public health system rests on its capacity to effectively deliver the 10 Essential Public Health Services*:
- Assess and monitor population health.
- Investigate, diagnose and address health hazards and root causes.
- Communicate effectively to inform and educate.
- Strengthen, support and mobilize communities and partnerships.
- Create, champion and implement policies, plans and laws.
- Utilize legal and regulatory actions.
- Enable equitable access.
- Build a diverse and skilled workforce.
- Improve and innovate through evaluation, research and quality improvement.
- Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health.
The 10 Essential Public Health Services provide a framework for public health to protect and promote the health of all people in all communities.
To achieve optimal health for all, the Essential Public Health Services actively promote policies, systems and services that enable good health and seek to remove obstacles and systemic and structural barriers — such as poverty, racism, gender discrimination, and other forms of oppression — that have resulted in health inequalities.
Everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to achieve good health and well-being.
*As part of The Futures Initiative: the 10 Essential Public Health Services, the de Beaumont Foundation, PHAB’s Center for Innovation and a task force of public health experts revealed a revised version of the 10 Essential Public Health Services on September 9, 2020. As with the original version, the 10 EPHS was created by the field for the field.