Introduction

This book is called, Public Health Today because I want the content and information presented in this book to be, current. For me, the word, ‘Today’ emphasizes that. How many of us would like to read content that is current, and fresh? I think that we know that the answer is, that all of us want to read a book or, textbook that talks about what is happening in our communities, our state, the nation, and the world; this is the intention of this textbook, which will be updated as much as possible after its first publication/version. That said, I also want to welcome you to this book, and invite you to be interactive with the content, and be ready for discussions of its content with your classmates and your instructor.

The book responds to the need to have a textbook that covers essential public health topics in a manner that is not complicated, but without losing its scientific rigor. All I want the reader to use the content without feeling intimidated by the concepts, so, the learning process happens. I have seen this in my many years of teaching, conscious, not a lot of students feel intimidated but the content of most public health books, and when they are asked to explain these concepts, or, are evaluated orally or, by written test, a lot of students respond badly, losing the main purpose of the concept, which is to put into practice in real life situations. I am saying this because I want my students to demystify the public health concept and get a better understanding of its fundamentals without getting bored, or, having a headache, or what is worse, lose interest in the subject and forget about it. I don’t want that, I want my students to be motivated about what public health is and does for the health and quality of life of the entire world (humans, animals, ecosystems, etc.).