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Public Health Acts exist in many countries to fund initiatives, codify problems and establish government agencies to oversee health issues. The landmark Public Health Act of 1848 emerged in response to Edwin Chadwick’s Health Report, creating formal public health committees and mandating sanitation organization. The US passed the Public Health Service Act in 1946 to organize public health services and provide better funding.
A number of pieces of legislation around the world are called the “Public Health Act,” reflecting a global interest in maintaining public health and creating legislation that funds public health initiatives, codifies major public health problems and establish government agencies to oversee health issues. Different nations have multiple such acts, reflecting changing concerns and attitudes about public health and disease, along with the need for new legislation to address the emergence of new public health threats.
The most famous of these laws is probably the Public Health Act of 1848, passed in Great Britain. This landmark piece of legislation emerged in response to Edwin Chadwick’s famous Health Report. Chadwick conducted an exhaustive survey of Britain, identifying a number of sanitation problems, especially in urban areas, and suggesting that the government needed to take steps to protect public health to avoid future outbreaks of disease and generally unsanitary conditions.
Under this act, formal public health committees were created and the accountability of communities clarified. Rather than leaving sanitation to chance, the law mandated formal organization of water supplies, sewerage, and garbage collection, with the goal of keeping communities cleaner, safer, and more pleasant to live in. The act had a number of weaknesses, but it marked the beginning of a change in attitudes towards sanitation, with nations starting to recognize that public health could not be left to chance.
Another Public Health Act was passed in Britain in 1875, specifically addressing urban sanitation issues, especially poor living conditions. He created stricter building codes to address serious violations, making British cities safer and healthier for their residents. As contemporary writings indicate, this act was absolutely necessary and probably could have been more strongly worded.
The United States also passed a notable public health bill in the form of the Public Health Service Act in 1946, when it organized public health services in the United States and created better funding for public health. The law has been amended several times to add funding for more causes and to better define public health threats and policies. Those interested in reading it for themselves can look up Title 42 of the United States Code and prepare for a long read. Title 42 also addresses public welfare and some civil rights issues.
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