Health Officers is a common term used in the United States and elsewhere for public health officials. Public health officials may serve at the global, federal, state, county, or municipal level. Health officers are concerned with protecting and improving the health of communities, states, nations and populations.
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Historically health officials were concerned uppermost with basic sanitation, clean water, control of communicable diseases, and control of arbo-viral diseases. These remain paramount issues at the global level. Other concerns including chronic diseases have risen in magnitude in developed nations. Current major issues for health officials and health officers include tobacco control,[1][2] injury prevention, public health surveillance, disease control, access to health care, health equity, health disparities, cultural competence, access to preventive services such as immunizations and health promotion.[3][4] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described the winnable battles for prevention. These battles include but are not limited to: HIV/AIDS, Motor Vehicle Injuries, Healthcare Associated Infections, Teenage Pregnancy, Nutrition, Food safety and obesity prevention, malaria prevention, etc.[5]