Public Health Glossary

Decode complex terminology and master the language of public health.

Harm Reduction

Definition: Harm reduction is a public health approach and set of strategies designed to minimize the negative health, social, and…

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Hazard

Definition: In public health, a hazard refers to any agent, condition, or situation with the potential to cause disease, injury,…

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Health Belief Model

Definition: The Health Belief Model (HBM) is a psychological health behavior change model developed to explain and predict individual engagement…

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Health Disparities

Definition: Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that…

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Health Equity

The state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.

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Health Impact Assessment

Definition: Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a systematic process that identifies and evaluates the potential health effects of a proposed…

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Health Information System

Definition: A Health Information System (HIS) is an integrated framework of people, processes, and technology designed to collect, process, store,…

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Health Promotion

The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.

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Healthcare-Associated Infection

Definition: A Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI), also known as a nosocomial infection, is an infection acquired by a patient during the…

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Healthy Cities

Definition: Healthy Cities is a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative promoting a comprehensive, long-term approach to public health, recognizing that…

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Herd Immunity

A form of indirect protection from infectious disease that occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection.

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Host (Epidemiology)

Definition: In epidemiology, a host is a living organism, typically a human or animal, that harbors an infectious agent under…

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Humanitarian Aid

Definition: Humanitarian aid refers to material and logistical assistance provided to people affected by humanitarian crises, such as natural disasters,…

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