About Us

Public Health South is one of 12 Public Health Units in New Zealand and is owned and governed by the Southern District Health Board. It provides a regional public health service to almost 287,000 people who live in Southland and Otago. 

What is public health?  
 
“Public health is the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organised efforts  and informed choices of society, organisations, public and private, communities and individuals.”
(C.E.A. Winslow, 1920)

To have a healthy population we not only need to heal people who are sick, but we also need to make sure that the physical and social environment we live in supports the health and wellbeing of everyone. For example, a healthy population requires clean air and water, access to enough income to support a reasonable quality of life, healthy working conditions, and knowledge about how to maintain wellbeing. The factors that impact on health are called ‘determinants’, some of which are shown in this diagram.

 
Public Health services are offered to populations rather than individuals and are considered a “public good”. They fall into two broad categories – health protection and health promotion and aim to create or advocate for healthy social, physical and cultural environments. Public Health practitioners utilise population data to identify health issues and develop appropriate services aimed at improving health outcomes and protecting health gains. The overall goal of Public Health South is to be effective in preventing disease, minimising health risks and maximising health for the population in the region.