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Do you want to enter the world of public health? Well, the good news is that this is a field with a huge demand and is only expected to grow. 

What this means for you as an individual is that there are many jobs available, but it doesn’t just stop there because there are so many benefits to becoming a public health professional.  

When talking about ‘public health, ‘we’re referring to the overall health of the country’s people, and public health workers are responsible for ensuring this health. 

This means their responsibilities can involve tracking and preventing disease outbreaks, educating people about how to live a healthy lifestyle, and conducting research into the causes of diseases.  

In this article, we’re going to look at all the benefits of becoming a public health professional in Australia.  

What are the responsibilities of a public health worker?

There are many different jobs within the industry, all geared towards improving the overall health of the public. 

With so many different positions, there are also many responsibilities specific to each job. While one health worker might specialise in identifying dangerous diseases or the spread of a new virus, another would be responsible for educating groups on health protocols. 

Here are some examples of the different responsibilities public health professionals will tackle on a daily basis: 

●Preventing and developing strategies to stop bullying in schools 

●Preventing cancer and researching potential causes 

●Helping develop vaccines for diseases 

●Exploring the causes of and further preventing autism 

●Developing policies around smoking to prevent lung disease and secondhand-smoke in communities 

●Promoting sustainable habits to protect the greater environment 

●Developing reproductive health programs to prevent infant mortality and disease 

●Educating people about the effects of drugs and alcohol to prevent addiction 

●Implementing safety standards in organisations to protect workers 

●Developing nutrition programs in schools to ensure children eat healthy 

●Ensuring distant communities have access to quality healthcare and services 

Benefits of working as a public health professional 

It’s important to weigh up the benefits of any job before choosing to do it. The healthcare industry requires individuals to be compassionate and work extremely hard. So, in light of that, we need to consider how the benefits make it worth it. 

Here are the benefits of working as a public health professional: 

1.Job satisfaction 

First on the list is job satisfaction. As a public health professional, you might be in the middle of a war, helping refugees escape a country or caring for the wounded. 

The fact that you’re making a real difference in people’s lives can be extremely satisfying. The same goes for if you’re working in a lab. 

There, you’ll be faced with new challenges and opportunities to research new diseases. There’s always something new to learn and explore.  

2.Job security 

Healthcare is a necessity in the world today, and public health professionals usually play a huge role in discovering the cause of illnesses and helping to provide solutions. 

This means that they’ll always be needed, offering you job security.  

3.Various available roles 

Another great benefit of becoming a public health professional is that this role offers you a variety of different career choices. 

In fact, public health professionals could secure a position at almost any healthcare organisation that’s working toward providing quality health services to the country. When you have a degree in public health, like having a Master’s in Public Health, you could become a: 

●Health Education Specialist – this is a public health worker who is dedicated to educating individuals and groups. In this position, your aim will be to help improve health and well-being through research, organising and facilitating programs, and engaging with the community.  

●Community Health Worker – as a community health worker, your job will be to connect communities with health services, provide screenings, and educate them on pressing health matters. 

●Public Health Researcher – being a public health researcher means you’ll be responsible for analysing data to build health policies and programs better. 

●Environmental Health Officer – as an environmental health officer, your goal is to help ensure environmental health and safety, and this will generally include inspecting food, water, and facilities of different areas 

●Medical Editor – this public health worker reviews and edits health-related content to ensure accuracy and clarity.  

●Public Policy Writer – this personal will research and write about health legislation and policies with the goal of inspiring action to help better the health of the public.  

●Demographer – a demographer analyses population data and uses the information to produce reports and statistics on health outcomes. 

●Health Care Administrator – anyone in this role manages the business operations of medical facilities to ensure smooth functioning.  

●Refugee Coordinator – this type of public health worker does the wonderful work of assisting refugees transition to new communities by providing training, support, and mental health services.  

As a public health professional, you can work in almost any setting. Businesses might hire you as a health consultant to educate their staff and provide training, or you might land a government position that requires you to work alongside hospitals and other healthcare professionals.  

4.You can travel the world 

Being a public health worker is a career move that suits people who want to work anywhere. 

Countries all over the world need healthcare professionals, especially third-world countries that are poverty-stricken. 

So, these countries would love to have more public health professionals to boost their healthcare, and as a bonus, you get to explore the world.  

Final Thoughts 

Public health professionals are at the forefront of the healthcare system, and their job is to care for the health of the country. 

Though their responsibilities are many and include everything from identifying diseases, their causes, and how to stop their spread, there are many wonderful benefits from working within this industry.