Public health is the science and practice of protecting and improving the health of  communities through activities such as education and promotion of healthy lifestyles, research on disease and injury prevention, mobilization of community partnerships and disease investigation and monitoring.

By assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy, public health improves the quality of life and health status of populations and groups of people.

To learn more about the practice of public health at Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services and the history of the public health field, please review Public Health 101.pdf