Public health is concerned with protecting the health of communities and entire populations. Whether as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country, policy is one potentially effective way to improve the health of populations.
The CDC policy process includes five domains that often overlap or occur in a different order. However, in an ideal scenario, a problem is defined, potential policy solutions are identified, analyzed, and prioritized, and the best solution is adopted and evaluated.
Public health professionals play an important role in the policy process. CDC grantees and public health partners may find this document useful. We have included the potential role of public health for each of the domains as examples.
“Policy” is defined as a law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive, or voluntary practice of governments and other institutions.
