OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY
MEDICINE
SCOPE AND HISTORY
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There are many approaches for studying health and
diseases:
• Basic sciences: such as physiology, biochemistry,
microbiology.. . etc
• Clinical sciences: these are carried in clinical settings for
diagnosis and treatment.
• Population sciences: these are sciences that study the
population in the community
Tuberculosis provides a good illustration of these
approaches. The basic sciences (microbiology) study the TB
bacilli. The clinical sciences deal with the diagnostic and
curative aspects. The population sciences study the pattern
and determinants of TB among the population to outline
programs for prevention and control of TB. All these
approaches are integrated.
The population science was referred as hygiene, preventive
medicine, public health, community medicine and family
medicine.
HYGIENE:
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Hygiene is defined as "the science of health" and
it includes all factors which contribute to
healthful living
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE:
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Preventive medicine dates back to the 18th century.
Even before the discovery of the causative agents,
some diseases could be prevented by the intake of
fresh fruits and vegetables such as scurvy. After
discovery of microbes as the causative agents of
diseases, it became possible to prevent and control
these diseases through simulation of the immune
response of the host by administration of different
antigens, examples: introduction of rabies vaccine,
cholera vaccine, diphtheria antitoxins as preventive
measures for those diseases. Further advances in the
knowledge about the different mode of transmission
of diseases made it possible to control the diseases by
blocking the channels of transmission such as water
purification, milk pasteurization, proper disposal of
sewage, destruction of insects and disinfections.
In the beginning, preventive medicine was
equated with the control of infectious diseases.
 With the control of acute infectious diseases, the
so-called modern diseases or man -made diseases
such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases,
mental illness and accidents came into
prominence and have become the leading causes
of death in industrialized countries.
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HENCE PREVENTIVE MEDICINE IS DEFINED AS
"The art and science of health
promotion,
disease
disability
rehabilitation"
prevention,
limitation
and
PUBLIC HEALTH:
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The term" public health" came into general use around
1840. As a result of improvement of health and
changes in the pattern of health problems, many
definitions of public heath were introduced. With the
adoption of the goal of" Health for All" a modern public
health is now evident world wide, which is
PUBLIC HEALTH
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"The organized application of all resources
(local, state, national, international) to
achieve Health for All goal i.e. attainment
by people of the world by the year 2000 of a
level of health that will permit them to lead
a socially and economically productive
life)"
FINALLY
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Terms like preventive medicine and community
medicine are used as synonyms for public health.
COMMUNITY MEDICINE:
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Community medicine is successor of what has
been previously known as public health, and
preventive medicine. Since problems vary from
country to country, each country should
formulate its own definition of community
medicine in the light of its traditions; geography
and resources. Community medicine is defined as
COMMUNITY MEDICINE:
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It is the study of health and diseases in the
population of a defined community or
group. It `s goal is to identify the health
problems and needs of a defined population
(community diagnosis) and to plan,
implement and evaluate the effectiveness of
health care to meet these needs.
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The diagnosis of the health state of the
community and the identification of the health
problems are considered as an important core of
community medicine.
FAMILY MEDICINE
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Family medicine has been emerged after
rediscovery of human, social, and cultural aspects
of health and diseases and of recognition of
family as a focal point of health care. Family
medicine has been defined as:
FAMILY MEDICINE
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" A field of specialization in medicine which
is neither disease nor organ oriented. It is
family oriented medicine or health care
centered on the family as the unit from first
contact to the ongoing care of chronic
problems (from prevention to
rehabilitation)