Top Ten Public Health Acheivements

The field of public health has a long legacy of accomplishments. Here are the 10 greatest public health achievements in theUnited States over the past century.

Vaccination
Resulted in: eradication of smallpox; elimination of poliomyelitis in the Americas; and control of measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, and Haemophilus influenzae type b in the United States and other parts of the world

Motor-vehicle safety
Resulted in: large reductions in motor-vehicle-related deaths due to safer vehicles and highways and efforts to change personal behavior (e.g., increased use of safety belts, child safety seats, and motorcycle helmets, as well as decreased drinking and driving)

Safer workplaces
Resulted in: reduction of approximately 40 percent in the rate of fatal occupational injuries

Control of infectious diseases
Resulted in: dramatic reduction of infections such as typhoid and cholera, due to clean water and improved sanitation; greater control of infections such as tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases by discovery of antimicrobial therapy

Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke
Resulted in: 51 percent decrease in death rate from coronary heart disease due to risk-factor modification, such as smoking cessation and blood pressure control coupled with improved access to early detection and better treatment

Safer and healthier foods
Resulted in: near elimination of major nutritional deficiency diseases such as rickets, goiter, and pellagra in theUnited States by identifying essential micronutrients and establishing food-fortification programs

Healthier mothers and babies
Resulted in: 90 percent decrease in infant mortality and 99 percent decrease in maternal mortality due to better hygiene and nutrition, availability of antibiotics, greater access to health care, and technologic advances in maternal and neonatal medicine

Family planning
Resulted in: altered social and economic roles of women afforded by access to family planning and contraceptive services; smaller family size and longer interval between the birth of children; increased opportunities for preconceptional counseling and screening; fewer infant, child, and maternal deaths; use of barrier contraceptives to prevent pregnancy and spread of sexually transmitted diseases

Fluoridation of drinking water
Resulted in: reductions in tooth decay (40 percent-70 percent in children) and of tooth loss in adults (40 percent-60 percent); effectively prevents tooth decay, regardless of socioeconomic status or access to care

Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard
Resulted in: prevention of millions of smoking-related deaths; changes in social norms to prevent initiation of tobacco use, promote cessation of use, and reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke

Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report;April 02, 1999; 48(12): 241-243