The SAFETY of MEDICINES IN PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMMES:

Pharmacovigilance an essential tool

Public health is defined as the organized efforts of society to protect, promote and restore people’s health. It is the combination of science, skills and beliefs that is directed to the maintenance and improvement of the health of all the people through collective or social actions. The programmes, services and institutions involved focus on the prevention of disease and the health needs of the population as a whole. Public health activities change in response to variations in technology and social values, but the goals remain the same:to promote health and to reduce the amount of disease, premature death and disease related discomfort and disability in the population.

Health promotion strategies contribute to the improvement of health and the prevention of diseases in developing and developed countries alike. Public health strategy is determined in each country according to the epidemiology of prevalent diseases and the local circumstances.