Understanding Public Health
Public health focuses on maintaining good health and preventing disease. It looks at how the environment, lifestyle, and social conditions affect our well-being. The science of epidemiology helps specialists study how illnesses spread and what causes them in large populations. Through health promotion, communities learn about healthy eating, regular exercise, and medical check-ups. These actions play a major role in prevention, helping to stop problems before they appear. Public health also deals with protection, such as using clean water systems or safety campaigns to reduce accidents. Understanding and managing risk factors, like smoking or poor diet, can significantly lower the chances of serious illnesses and infection.
A strong healthcare system is essential for delivering medical help when prevention is not enough. In many countries, people can visit a clinic for regular advice or go for a check-up to make sure they are healthy. Hospitals are organised into departments and wards for patients with similar conditions. Those needing urgent treatment are taken to accident and emergency, where doctors and nurses work quickly to save lives. Patients with more complex problems are often referred to a specialist, a doctor trained in a specific area of medicine.
When someone begins to come down with an illness, medical professionals use various treatments and procedures to help. In some cases, a simple painkiller can relieve pain, while serious conditions might require surgery or even a transplant. Sometimes, doctors implant medical devices, such as artificial joints or pacemakers, to improve quality of life. If an accident occurs, patients who pass out are given immediate care to restore consciousness. Diagnostic tools like the X-ray allow doctors to see inside the body and identify broken bones or hidden problems.
Public health connects all these areas – from disease prevention and protection to effective medical care. It aims to build healthier societies by combining science, education, and compassion, ensuring that everyone has access to a safe and supportive healthcare environment.
Key Vocabulary:
disease — [dɪˈziːz] — an illness of people, animals, or plants caused by infection or a failure of health rather than an accident; slimība
epidemiology — [ˌep.ɪ.diː.miˈɒl.ə.dʒi] — the study of disease distribution and causes in the population; epidemioloģija
health promotion — [helθ prəˈməʊ.ʃən] —actions to improve and maintain good health in individuals and communities; veselības veicināšana
infection — [ɪnˈfek.ʃən] — a condition in which bacteria or viruses that cause disease have entered the body; infekcija
prevention — [prɪˈven.ʃən] — measures taken to stop diseases or health problems before they happen; profilakse, novēršana
protection — [prəˈtek.ʃən] — the act of keeping someone or something safe from harm or danger; aizsardzība
risk factor — [rɪsk ˈfæk.tər] — a condition or behaviour that increases the chance of developing a disease; riska faktors
Healthcare System and Services
accident and emergency (abbreviation: A&E; also: accident and emergency department) — [ˌæk.sɪ.dənt ənd ɪˈmɜː.dʒən.si] — the part of a hospital where people who need urgent care are treated; uzņemšanas nodaļa
check-up — [ˈtʃek ʌp] — an examination of somebody/something, especially a medical one to make sure that you are healthy; medicīniskā apskate, pārbaude
clinic — [ˈklɪn.ɪk] — a part of a hospital or medical centre that provides treatment for patients who do not stay overnight; klīnika
healthcare system — [ˈhelθ ˌkeər ˈsɪs.təm] — an organised structure for delivering medical services to people; veselības aprūpes sistēma
specialist (also: consultant) — [speʃəlɪst] — a doctor highly trained in a particular area of medicine; speciālists, ārsts, kas specializējas konkrētā nozarē
ward — [wɔːd] — a separate area in a hospital for patients with similar medical needs; palāta
Medical Treatment, Procedures, and Reactions
come down with — [kʌm daʊn wɪð] — to start feeling ill or showing symptoms of an illness; saslimt (ar)
implant — [ɪmˈplɑːnt] — to insert living tissue or an artificial object into the body during a medical procedure; implantēt; implantāts
painkiller — [ˈpeɪnˌkɪl.ər] — a type of medicine used to reduce or relieve pain; pretsāpju līdzeklis
pass out — [paːs aʊt] — to lose consciousness or faint; zaudēt samaņu
procedure — [prəˈsiː.dʒər] — a medical action performed by professionals to diagnose or treat a condition; procedūra
surgery — [ˈsɜː.dʒər.i] — medical treatment that involves cutting open the body to repair or remove something; ķirurģiska iejaukšanās
transplant — [trænˈsplɑːnt] — a tissue or organ that is removed from one body and placed into another; transplantāts, transplantācija
X-ray — [ˈeks.reɪ] — an image of the inside of a body created using X-rays; rentgenogramma, rentgenizmeklēšana
Common Collocations
be admitted to hospital — to be taken into hospital for treatment; nonākt slimnīcā
carry out a procedure — to perform a medical treatment or test; veikt medicīnisku procedūru
develop a disease — to begin to have an illness; saslimt
do an X-ray — to take an image of a part of the body using X-rays; veikt rentgenizmeklēšanu
go for a check-up — to visit a doctor for a regular health examination; doties uz veselības pārbaudi
have surgery — to have an operation to repair or remove something inside the body; tikt operētam(ai)
have a transplant — to receive an organ or tissue from another person; saņemt transplantātu / veikt transplantāciju
perform surgery — to carry out a medical operation; veikt ķirurģisku iejaukšanos
prevent a disease — to stop an illness from happening; profilaktiski novērst slimību
promote healthy lifestyles — to encourage people to live in ways that improve health; veicināt veselīgu dzīvesveidu
protect against infection — to stop harmful bacteria or viruses from entering the body; aizsargāt pret infekciju
provide healthcare — to offer medical services to people; nodrošināt veselības aprūpi
reduce risk factors — to lower the chances of developing a disease; samazināt riska faktorus
take a painkiller — to use medicine that helps to reduce pain; lietot pretsāpju līdzekli
have / make an appointment with a specialist — to see a doctor who is trained in a particular medical field; ir pieraksts pie speciālista, pierakstīties pie speciālista
epidemiology — [ˌep.ɪ.diː.miˈɒl.ə.dʒi] — the study of disease distribution and causes in the population; epidemioloģija
health promotion — [helθ prəˈməʊ.ʃən] —actions to improve and maintain good health in individuals and communities; veselības veicināšana
infection — [ɪnˈfek.ʃən] — a condition in which bacteria or viruses that cause disease have entered the body; infekcija
prevention — [prɪˈven.ʃən] — measures taken to stop diseases or health problems before they happen; profilakse, novēršana
protection — [prəˈtek.ʃən] — the act of keeping someone or something safe from harm or danger; aizsardzība
risk factor — [rɪsk ˈfæk.tər] — a condition or behaviour that increases the chance of developing a disease; riska faktors
Healthcare System and Services
accident and emergency (abbreviation: A&E; also: accident and emergency department) — [ˌæk.sɪ.dənt ənd ɪˈmɜː.dʒən.si] — the part of a hospital where people who need urgent care are treated; uzņemšanas nodaļa
check-up — [ˈtʃek ʌp] — an examination of somebody/something, especially a medical one to make sure that you are healthy; medicīniskā apskate, pārbaude
clinic — [ˈklɪn.ɪk] — a part of a hospital or medical centre that provides treatment for patients who do not stay overnight; klīnika
healthcare system — [ˈhelθ ˌkeər ˈsɪs.təm] — an organised structure for delivering medical services to people; veselības aprūpes sistēma
specialist (also: consultant) — [speʃəlɪst] — a doctor highly trained in a particular area of medicine; speciālists, ārsts, kas specializējas konkrētā nozarē
ward — [wɔːd] — a separate area in a hospital for patients with similar medical needs; palāta
Medical Treatment, Procedures, and Reactions
come down with — [kʌm daʊn wɪð] — to start feeling ill or showing symptoms of an illness; saslimt (ar)
implant — [ɪmˈplɑːnt] — to insert living tissue or an artificial object into the body during a medical procedure; implantēt; implantāts
painkiller — [ˈpeɪnˌkɪl.ər] — a type of medicine used to reduce or relieve pain; pretsāpju līdzeklis
pass out — [paːs aʊt] — to lose consciousness or faint; zaudēt samaņu
procedure — [prəˈsiː.dʒər] — a medical action performed by professionals to diagnose or treat a condition; procedūra
surgery — [ˈsɜː.dʒər.i] — medical treatment that involves cutting open the body to repair or remove something; ķirurģiska iejaukšanās
transplant — [trænˈsplɑːnt] — a tissue or organ that is removed from one body and placed into another; transplantāts, transplantācija
X-ray — [ˈeks.reɪ] — an image of the inside of a body created using X-rays; rentgenogramma, rentgenizmeklēšana
Common Collocations
be admitted to hospital — to be taken into hospital for treatment; nonākt slimnīcā
carry out a procedure — to perform a medical treatment or test; veikt medicīnisku procedūru
develop a disease — to begin to have an illness; saslimt
do an X-ray — to take an image of a part of the body using X-rays; veikt rentgenizmeklēšanu
go for a check-up — to visit a doctor for a regular health examination; doties uz veselības pārbaudi
have surgery — to have an operation to repair or remove something inside the body; tikt operētam(ai)
have a transplant — to receive an organ or tissue from another person; saņemt transplantātu / veikt transplantāciju
perform surgery — to carry out a medical operation; veikt ķirurģisku iejaukšanos
prevent a disease — to stop an illness from happening; profilaktiski novērst slimību
promote healthy lifestyles — to encourage people to live in ways that improve health; veicināt veselīgu dzīvesveidu
protect against infection — to stop harmful bacteria or viruses from entering the body; aizsargāt pret infekciju
provide healthcare — to offer medical services to people; nodrošināt veselības aprūpi
reduce risk factors — to lower the chances of developing a disease; samazināt riska faktorus
take a painkiller — to use medicine that helps to reduce pain; lietot pretsāpju līdzekli
have / make an appointment with a specialist — to see a doctor who is trained in a particular medical field; ir pieraksts pie speciālista, pierakstīties pie speciālista
Practice: now that you have learned the key vocabulary, it is time to use it in practice. Think how you would answer the discussion-type questions, which will help you develop the ability to give longer answers and practise how to express your opinion — just as in an English exam or real conversation. For each question, an answer prompt is available to guide you.
Discussion-Type Questions
1.Why is health education important for preventing diseases?
"Personally, I believe health education plays a vital role in prevention because it teaches people how to avoid harmful habits and recognise early signs of illness. When people understand how their lifestyle affects their body, they can make safer choices. In my opinion, education is one of the most effective ways to protect public health and reduce risky behaviour."
2.What can people do to protect themselves from infections?
"Personally, I think simple actions, such as washing hands regularly and keeping clean environments, can make life much safer. It’s also important to avoid contact with people who are ill, especially when diseases are spreading quickly. From my perspective, ignoring basic hygiene rules can be risky and sometimes even deadly, especially for older people or those with weak immune systems."
3.Why is air pollution a major public health concern?
"Personally, I believe air pollution is alarming because it affects everyone, even people who are healthy. Breathing polluted air can cause severe and harmful diseases, such as asthma or heart problems. In my opinion, this issue is critical, and governments should take strong action to reduce emissions and protect future generations."
4.How can people become more responsible for their own health?
"From my perspective, people need to understand that prevention starts with small, everyday decisions. Avoiding harmful habits such as smoking or poor diet can reduce risky outcomes. Personally, I feel it’s essential to go for regular check-ups and listen to professional advice. Being informed and proactive is the safest way to stay healthy."
Learn: the word "dangerous" is very common in English, but using it too often can make your speaking and writing sound repetitive or less precise. Now you can explore a variety of synonyms for “dangerous” that express different levels or types of risk.
alarming — [əlɑːmɪŋ] — causing fear or concern because something bad may happen; satraucošs, biedējošs
critical — [krɪtɪkəl] — extremely serious or dangerous; kritisks, bīstams
deadly — [ded.li] — able to cause death; nāvējošs, ļoti bīstams
harmful — [haːm.fəl] — causing damage or injury; kaitīgs, bīstams
risky — [risk.i] — likely to cause problems or harm; riskants, bīstams
severe — [səvɪə] — very strong, serious, or extreme; smags, nopietns, bīstams
threatening — [θretənɪŋ] — showing danger or risk of harm; draudošs, bīstams
toxic — [tɒk.sɪk] — poisonous or very harmful, especially to health or the environment; toksisks, kaitīgs
Vocabulary Corner:
critical — [krɪtɪkəl] — extremely serious or dangerous; kritisks, bīstams
deadly — [ded.li] — able to cause death; nāvējošs, ļoti bīstams
harmful — [haːm.fəl] — causing damage or injury; kaitīgs, bīstams
risky — [risk.i] — likely to cause problems or harm; riskants, bīstams
severe — [səvɪə] — very strong, serious, or extreme; smags, nopietns, bīstams
threatening — [θretənɪŋ] — showing danger or risk of harm; draudošs, bīstams
toxic — [tɒk.sɪk] — poisonous or very harmful, especially to health or the environment; toksisks, kaitīgs