When it comes to healthcare, community isn’t just some nebulous concept. Community health is an actual, specific medical discipline. It’s a form of public health that concentrates on the people of one geographic area. The people who administer this kind of healthcare are known as community health workers, and agencies like the CDC offer a range of resources to help them do their jobs (https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/center/community-health-worker-resources.html).
All around the world, communities are struggling to access the healthcare they need. This may be because they’re in a remote location, it may be because of conflict or natural disasters in the area, or it may be because of discrimination in society. Whatever the cause, certain diseases and conditions are more common in some places than they are in others.
The trouble is that when you’re dealing with remote or underserved populations, they’re likely to be quite skeptical of strangers who come in and say they can fix everything. A lack of trust can be devastating in a healthcare setting. That’s where community health workers come in. They’re the mediators who know both the community and the authorities and communicate with all of them.
Community health means identifying the specific needs of a population and developing targeted strategies to help. That could include educating people so they can make informed decisions about their own healthcare, assisting with environmental modifications, providing advice and support with basic health measures such as hygiene and nutrition, and running various programs to prevent or cure different diseases. Infectious diseases are a big thing to look out for in a community because they spread so quickly.
These kinds of community health programs don’t just take place in poor corners of remote countries; they exist across the U.S. Chronic conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes are particularly high in certain sections of the population, but all can be at least partially managed with lifestyle changes. Community health workers may try to improve access to nutrition, exercise, housing, pleasant outdoor spaces and other things known to improve community health outcomes (https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/health-sciences/blog/what-is-community-health/).
There may be health workers who specialize in community health, but everyone has a part to play in this essential aspect of living in a society. If everyone looks out for each other, it can improve the health of everybody and ensure that an entire area becomes a better place to call home.
