Towards a well-being society: Public health's role in the healthcare system and in society in the 21st century.

Abstract

Eight years ago, we were part of a team of authors who wrote about challenges facing public health at that time, indicating threats to public health that also threatened the health of the population and the sustainability of the healthcare system. Eight years later, the issues we discussed remain. In this article, we reflect on what "public health" is, its challenges, and its role both within and beyond the healthcare sector. In particular, we focus on the challenges of downgrading public health within governments and health authorities, of limiting the independence of public health officials, and of limiting public health's scope by combining it with primary and community care. We conclude with the role of public health in wider society and on what could be gained both within and beyond the health sector from a strong public health system that is oriented around a well-being society.