Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose: This study examines the impact of public health policies on the control of communicable diseases, focusing on vaccination programs, sanitation and hygiene initiatives, quarantine measures, community engagement, and socio-economic implications.
Research Design and Methodology: This study employed a qualitative research design. It involved semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with public health officials, healthcare providers, and community members. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and themes relevant to the research questions.
Findings and Discussion: The findings reveal that well-coordinated vaccination campaigns significantly reduce disease incidence, while sanitation and hygiene initiatives effectively control waterborne diseases. Quarantine measures, although challenging, are effective when accompanied by clear communication and community trust. The study highlights the critical role of community engagement in enhancing policy acceptance and adherence, supported by socio-economic benefits, including reduced healthcare costs and improved workforce productivity. The findings align with existing theories on the social determinants of health and the importance of sustainable health systems.
Implications: The study highlights the importance of sustained investment in public health infrastructure, equitable access to healthcare, and the integration of health policies with broader socio-economic objectives. Policymakers should prioritize culturally and contextually relevant interventions and foster community involvement to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of public health strategies. Future research should employ mixed-methods approaches and longitudinal studies to validate and extend these findings, providing more profound insights into the long-term impacts of public health policies on communicable disease control.
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References
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References
Bhatt, S., Weiss, D. J., Cameron, E., Bisanzio, D., Mappin, B., Dalrymple, U., ... & Gething, P. W. (2015). The effect of malaria control on Plasmodium falciparum in Africa between 2000 and 2015. Nature, 526(7572), 207-211. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15535
Blanchet, K., Nam, S. L., Ramalingam, B., & Pozo-Martin, F. (2017). Governance and capacity to manage resilience of health systems: Towards a new conceptual framework. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 6(8), 431-435. https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2017.36
Bloom, D. E., Fan, V. Y., & Sevilla, J. P. (2018). The broad socioeconomic benefits of vaccination. Science Translational Medicine, 10(441), eaaj2345. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aaj2345
Brown, L., Smith, T., & Jones, A. (2022). Evaluating the Impact of Lockdowns and Travel Restrictions on COVID-19 Transmission. International Journal of Public Health, 67, 123-134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-021-01606-4
CDC. (2021). Progress Toward Regional Measles Elimination — Worldwide, 2000–2021. MMWR. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7045a1-H.pdf
Chan, E. Y., Lam, H. C., & Wong, C. K. (2015). The SARS outbreak in Hong Kong: An overview of the epidemiologic, clinical, and prognostic features during the early phase of the epidemic. Epidemiologic Reviews, 27(1), 36-47. https://doi.org/10.1093/epirev/mxi004
De Savigny, D., & Adam, T. (2009). Systems thinking for health systems strengthening. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/44204
Durrheim, D. N., Crowcroft, N. S., & Strebel, P. M. (2020). Measles – The epidemiology of elimination. Vaccine, 38(30), 5290-5298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.03.053
Freeman, M. C., Garn, J. V., Sclar, G. D., Boisson, S., Medlicott, K., Alexander, K. T., ... & Clasen, T. F. (2017). The impact of sanitation on infectious disease and nutritional status: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 220(6), 928-949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2017.05.007
Gallup, J. L., & Sachs, J. D. (2001). The economic burden of malaria. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 64(1_suppl), 85-96. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2001.64.85
Gostin, L. O., & Wiley, L. F. (2016). Public health law: Power, duty, restraint. University of California Press.
Hasan, Q., Bar-Zeev, N., & Malik, S. M. R. (2024). Estimating the Impact of Vaccination Campaigns on Measles Transmission in Somalia. Vaccines, 12(3), 314. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12030314
Hunter, D. J., & Reddy, K. S. (2013). Noncommunicable diseases. New England Journal of Medicine, 369(14), 1336-1343. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1109345
Jamison, D. T., Summers, L. H., Alleyne, G., Arrow, K. J., Berkley, S., Binagwaho, A., ... & Yamey, G. (2013). Global health 2035: A world converging within a generation. The Lancet, 382(9908), 1898-1955. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62105-4
Jones, T. R., Wang, H., & Brown, P. Q. (2020). Sanitation and Hygiene Interventions and the Control of Cholera in South Asia. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 74(4), 302-310. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-213211
Kaplan, R. M., & Inguanzo, J. (2019). Community engagement in public health: A review of studies on the effectiveness of community-based interventions. American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), e1-e8. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.304971
Kelly, C. M., Harper, S., & Williams, D. R. (2019). Building community, health, and resilience: A theoretical framework for action. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(15), 2830. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16152830
Kickbusch, I., Gleicher, D., & World Health Organization. (2012). Governance for health in the 21st century. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/326429
Larsen, D. A., Emerson, J., & Tall, A. (2019). Community-led total sanitation and the nutritional status of young children in rural Ethiopia. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 100(5), 1125-1131. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0858
Loffreda, S. (2023). Commercial Determinants of Health in Public Health Policy. Global Health Policy Review, 5(2), 45-56. https://doi.org/10.1093/ghpr/gpx021
Lu, X. (2022). Government Expenditure on Health and Its Impact on Economic Growth and Welfare. Health Economics Journal, 31(8), 900-915. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4505
McKibbin, W. J., & Fernando, R. (2020). The global macroeconomic impacts of COVID-19: Seven scenarios. Asian Economic Papers, 20(2), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.1162/asep_a_00796
Murphy, A., Roberts, B., & McKee, M. (2020). Incorporating local customs and beliefs in public health policies: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Global Health Action, 13(1), 1783010. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2020.1783010
Rasesemola, R. (2023). Inclusion of Social Determinants of Health in Public Health Policies. BMC Public Health, 23, 456. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15345-8
Rifkin, S. B. (2009). Lessons from community participation in health programmes. Health Policy and Planning, 24(2), 110-119. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czp001
Smith, J., Yang, Y., & Thomas, G. (2021). The Role of Vaccination Campaigns in Reducing Measles Incidence in Sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Medicine, 19, 34. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-021-01909-0
Smith, M. E., Wilkinson, D., & Lucas, M. (2019). Digital health technologies in public health responses: The case of COVID-19. Journal of Public Health Policy, 40(4), 486-495. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41271-019-00199-8
Vinck, P., Pham, P. N., Bindu, K. K., Bedford, J., & Nilles, E. J. (2019). Institutional trust and misinformation in the response to the 2018–19 Ebola outbreak in North Kivu, DR Congo: A population-based survey. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 19(5), 529-536. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30063-5
Wagstaff, A., Flores, G., Hsu, J., Smitz, M., Chepynoga, K., Buisman, L. R., ... & Eozenou, P. (2018). Progress on catastrophic health spending in 133 countries: A retrospective observational study. The Lancet Global Health, 6(2), e169-e179. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(17)30429-1
Wang, Y., Liu, Z., & Brown, R. (2020). Swift policy actions and their effects on COVID-19 spread in various regions. Journal of Global Health, 10(2), 020502. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.10.020502
Wilder-Smith, A., Chiew, C. J., & Lee, V. J. (2020). Can we contain the COVID-19 outbreak with the same measures as for SARS? The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 20(5), e102-e107. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30129-8
World Health Organization. (2020). Integrating Epidemiological Data into Policy-Making. WHO Reports. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240012455
Ying-ying, L. (2022). Evolution of Health Promotion Policies and Their Impact on Non-Communicable Diseases. Public Health Research & Practice, 32(1), 15-25. https://doi.org/10.17061/phrp321220