Term Definition

Active surveillance A process of actively identifying cases across the locality of interest.
Adverse childhood experiences Traumatic events in childhood that are associated with differences in health and wellbeing
(ACEs) status later in life.
In relation to the COM-B Model: "An individual’s psychological and physical capacity to
Capability engage in the activity concerned.It includes having the necessary knowledge and skills."
(Michie S et al, 2011)
In terms of an outbreak this is defined as an agreed definition for a disease. Case definitions
Case definition
are usually divided into possible, probable and confirmed categories.

In relation to vacciness: the organism(s) a vaccine is protecting against. For example, the
Causative pathogen
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against strains 16 and 18 of HPV.

Comprise protection for a number of different disease pathogens and therefore prevent
several different diseases. The MMR vaccine that protects against Measles, Mumps and
Combination vaccines
Rubella is a good example. They are commonly used to reduce the number of injections
babies and children need.
Describes a state where local or regional efforts have brought an infectious disease to a
Control (of an infectious disease)
stage of stable or reducing morbidity and mortality.
"A state of observable and demonstrable disadvantage relative to another area."
Deprivation (Townsend P. 1987)

Elimination (of an infectious Describes a state where transmission in a specified area has been entirely interrupted;
disease) accordingly the incidence will cease and the prevalence will remain either stable or reduce.

Technically: given in equal measure, but also sometimes used colloquially to imply a state
Equality
of equality in outcomes.
Equity Technically: allocation of resource given in measure proportionate to need
Eradication (of an infectious
Is a permanent reduction to zero, meaning that the infection has been globally eliminated.
disease)
A system of moral principles. Also thought as a set of social or personal values or a moral
Ethics
philosophy.

"A rigorous and structured assessment of a completed or ongoing activity, intervention,

Evaluation programme or policy that will determine the extent to which it is achieving its objectives
and contributing to decision- making." (United Nations Development Programme)

"...An area for study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and
Global health
achieving equity in health for all people worldwide." (Koplan et al. 2010)

"The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a
Harm principle civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others." (Mill JS)

A systematic way of assessing need and ensuring appropriate and effective service
Health care needs assessment
provision.
Delivering information, which directly teaches individuals and populations how to achieve
Health education
better health.

An approach to surveying a community to assess health inequalities between different

Health Equity Audit (HEA)
groups and differences in service provision (Canadian National Collaborating Centre)

A combination of procedures, methods and tools that systematically judges the potential,
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and sometimes unintended, effects of a policy, strategy, programme or project on the
health of a population and the distribution of those effects within the population.
 The domain of practice that that deals with the management, analysis and interpretation of
Health intelligence
data to support improvements in population health and inform action.

Refers to the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of
Health literacy individuals to gain access to, understand, and use information in ways that promote and
maintain good health.
A systematic method for reviewing the health issues facing a population, leading to agreed
Health Needs Assessment (HNA) priorities and resource allocation that will improve health and reduce inequalities."
(National Institute for Health and Care Excellence -NICE)
The domain of practice assocaited with enabling people to increase control over, and to
Health promotion improve, their health. In the FPHP module the term is used interchangeably with 'health
improvement'.
The domain of practice associated with protecting the population from a wide range of
Health protection threats to their health including communicable diseases and various types of
environmental and non-communicable hazards.
In FPHP it is also called 'health care public health'. This domain relates to the population
Health services aspects of health care and involves assessing interventions, programmes and services. It
aims to offer earlier treatments.
Sometimes also referred to as 'herd protection'. It describes when a sufficient proportion of
Herd immunity
the population is immune to a disease.
"The process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease,
Immunisation
typically by the administration of a vaccine." (WHO)

A list of what vaccines are recommended to be given to whom, and when. These are often
Immunisation schedule
defined at the national level and immunisation schedules can vary between countries.

Incubation period Describes the time between being exposed to the pathogen and symptoms arising.
Describes a state where an individual is infected but demonstrates neither signs nor
Indolent infection
symptoms.
Inequality The unequal distribution of health outcomes or health resource.
Inequity "Unfair or avoidable differences." (Global Health Europe)
Infectious period The duration for which the subject is infectious.

Infectivity An organism's ability to invade and infect its host (in medical terms, this is the human).

This involves identifying rapidly patients who pose a threat to population health and
Isolation (in health protection)
preventing them from transmitting their infection.

Describes situations which cannot be dealt with using routine service arrangements and
Major incidents
require special procedures. They are sometimes sub-categorised in natural and manmade.

Also called 'scope creep'. Is a term taken from military strategy that describes how
Mission creep
objectives shift during a military campaign and can also be used similarly in a project.

In relation to the COM-B Model: "All those brain processes that energize and direct
Motivation
behaviour, not just goals and conscious decision-making." (Michie S et al, 2011)
Need The capacity to benefit.
"Resources that provide data collected on a periodic basis, usually annually or less
Non-routinely collected data frequently." (Global Health Learning Center); examples include passive ad hoc surveys,
active surveys using validated instruments or bespoke methodologies.
In relation to the COM-B Model: "All the factors that lie outside the individual that make
Opportunity
the behaviour possible or prompt it." (Michie S. et al, 2011)
 Also called 'incident'. It is defined by Public Health England as: An incident in which two or
more people experiencing a similar illness are linked in time or place ;
A greater than expected rate of infection compared with the usual background rate for the
place and time where the outbreak has occurred ;
Outbreak
A single case for certain rare diseases such as diphtheria, botulism, rabies, viral
haemorrhagic fever or polio;
A suspected, anticipated or actual event involving microbial or chemical contamination of
food or water .
This is the event or main quantity of interest in a particular study, e.g. death, contracting a
Outcome
disease, blood pressure.
Output The result(s) of an intervention
Passive surveillance A process of recording incident cases when notified.
Pathogen An organism that causes disease in a host, in medical terms a human.
An organism's ability to cause symptoms; in effect the proportion of those infected who go
Pathogenicity
on to the disease state.
When a person’s resources are insufficient to meet their minimum needs; conceptually
Poverty
there is absolute poverty and relative poverty.
This typically includes WASH-based initiatives as well as vaccination and other behavioural
Prevention (in health protection) interventions; it typically specifies an intervention that prevents disease arising in the first
place.
The prevention of the onset of disease. To limit exposure to risk factors by individual
Primary prevention
behaviour change and by actions in the community.
"The art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through
Public Health the organized efforts of society." (World Health Organization)

"The continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health-related data

Public Health Surveillance
needed for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice." (WHO)

"The degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood
Quality of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge." (US
National Academy of Medicine)
The relative risk is used as a measure of association between an exposure and disease. It is
Relative risk the ratio of the incidence rate in the exposed group and the incidence rate in the non-
exposed group.
Relative poverty The inability to maintain an average standard of living.
Resilience Is about having capacity to bounce back from adversity of insult.
"Data held in national and regional databases routinely collected which contain large
quantities of health information, usually covering whole populations and often spanning
Routinely collected data
prolonged time periods." (Bain et al. 1997) Some examples are: geodemographic
tools,deaths, births, education and indices of deprivation.

Sanitation Access to and use of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces.

"The presumptive identification of unrecognized disease in an apparently healthy,

asymptomatic population by means of tests, examinations or other procedures that can be
Screening
applied rapidly and easily to the target population." (WHO)

"Includes all the core components in the screening process from inviting the target
Screening programme population to accessing effective treatment for individuals diagnosed with disease." (WHO)

Halting the progression once the disease process is already established. Early detection
Secondary prevention
followed by prompt, effective treatment (e.g. screening for cancers).

Self-selection bias Where healthier more health-conscious people come forward and take part in screening.
 Sensitivity is defined as the proportion of those with the disease who tested positive. In
Sensitivity other words, the proportion of the true positive results among all individuals with the
disease.
Signs Indications of disease identified by the doctor.
More often, implicit rules developed about how people should and should not behave in
Social norms
certain situations.
Socio-economic status Refers to the social status of an individual or population group.

Specificity is defined as the proportion of those without the disease who tested negative.
Specificity
Alternatively, the proportion of true negative results among all those without the disease.

Symptoms Indications of disease that a patient identifies.

The rehabilitation of people with established disease to minimise residual disability and
Tertiary prevention complications. (Richard, this defintion was already in the glossary. Similar to the one in
FPHP1.3.01 video)
"The administration of a vaccine to stimulate the body’s own immune system to protect the
Vaccination
person against subsequent infection or disease." (WHO)
Vaccine efficacy Describes the effectiveness of a vaccine in perfect conditions.
Vaccine effectiveness Describes the effectiveness of a vaccine in real-world conditions.
Vector An organism that transmits a pathogen.
The impact of disease caused by an organism; a highly virulent disease would be one that
Virulence
causes severe disease.

Refers to the provision of safe water for drinking, washing and domestic activities, the safe
Water, sanitation and hygiene
removal of waste (including toilets and waste disposal) and health promotion activities to
(WASH)
encourage protective healthy behaviour practices among the affected population.

Diseases caused by parasites found in intermediate organisms living in water, for example
Water-based diseases
schistosomiasis and guinea worm. (WHO)
Diseases spread when people drink contaminated water, by human or animal faeces or
Water-borne diseases urine, or eat food that has been prepared with contaminated water, for example cholera
and diarrhoeal diseases. (WHO)
Diseases transmitted by insect vectors which breed in water e.g. malaria and river
Water-related insect vector
blindness. (WHO)

Water-washed diseases Infections that are caused by poor personal hygiene e.g. scabies and trachoma. (WHO)