A public health intervention is any effort, policy, or program intended to improve mental and physical health at the population level. Interventions involve social movements that strive to support public health at different levels of society. Public health interventions may be run by a variety of organizations, including governmental health departments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Interventions can be personal, community-level, national, and global. Common types of interventions include screening programs, vaccination, food and water supplementation, and health promotion. Common issues that are the subject of public health interventions include obesity, drug, tobacco, and alcohol use, and the spread of infectious disease, e.g. HIV. Public health interventions are distinct from healthcare interventions in terms of their scope, methods, and objectives. Specifically, public health information tends to focus on population-level information and preventative measures while healthcare interventions tend to focus on the individual. Though, both are highly interconnected and necessarily complementary.
A policy may meet the criteria of a public health intervention if it prevents disease on both the individual and community level and has a positive impact on public health.
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