New Public Health and National Public Health System

Bae, Sang Soo

Abstract

The New Public Health(NPH) is a comprehensive approach to protecting and promoting the health status of each individual member and society as a whole. NHP is not so much a philosophy to broaden the understanding of public health as it is an action plan to address current public health system. This paper's objectives include increasing public and professional awareness of the significant changes in the national public health systems of developed countries and contributing to more effective delivery of public health services in Korea. This paper reviews articles and documents concerning NPH and the public health system, and outlines of the achievements in developed countries since NPH movement began. These include the change in the definition and function of public health, expansion of public health networks, strengthening of public health policy, reorientation of public health delivery systems, promotion of workforce capacity, and the implementation of evidence-based management. To overcome the challenges facing the public health system of Korea, we must prioritize the value of population-based approach, expand the notion of a public health system to encompass all sectors that can influence health, promote a "Health in All Policies" approach, focus on an evidence-based health policy and program, develop core competencies for public health workers, and establish performance standards for public health organizations based on the core functions of public health.