It is fact that social, physical and cultural aspects have major influence on an individual’s health status. The social environment is important since social problems and social support directly related to the physical and mental illness.

Nurses and all health professionals must actively consider the influence of the community on the health status of the patient.

Objectives:

The purposes of community health is to help people attain greater levels of health and wellbeing through its various programmes,

1. To ascertain the nature and extent of disease and disability in community
2. To take suitable measure to-
   • Promote healthful living
   • Prevent disabilities
   • Correct remedial defects
   • Treat illness, and
   • Rehabilitate those with handicaps
3. To evaluate the progress and success of current programmes
4. To conduct research into community causes and diseases and investigate through research, improved methods and techniques
5. To provide the necessary organization of medical care, health care, nursing care required to deal with community ill health
6. To educate the public in prevention of health hazards in the best use of medico social measures and appropriate technology

Functions and Activities

It’s important to know about the modern concepts of community health and welfare

1. Health education
2. Dietary practices, good sanitation
3. Environmental sanitation
4. Code of conduct
5. Self discipline
6. Civic and spiritual values
7. Increasing average span of human life
8. Decreasing the mortality rate, particularly infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate
9. Decreasing morbidity rate
10. Increasing the physical mental, and social well-being individual
11. Increasing the pace of adjustment of the individual to his environment
12. Providing total health care to enrich quality of life