Fairbanks School of Public Health is dedicated to the pursuit of health for all people. Health is defined as the capacity to develop full human potential, not simply the absence of disease. In promoting the health of communities, DPH emphasizes the prevention of disease and injury and recognizes the interconnectedness of the physical environment and ecosystem to the health of the community. DPH st
rives to ensure that the interests of the public are represented in health policies and practices and supports activities that promote this comprehensive view. The School is committed to the principles of equality, shared decision-making, and a focus on the social, biological and environmental determinants of health which are central tenets of healthy communities and social justice. DPH embraces collaborative and participatory activities as a means of working collectively with other institutions and organizations in the community, across the state, nationally and internationally to ensure healthy communities and populations, a prerequisite for social justice. While the traditional regulatory, legal and legislative functions of public health remain as important as ever today, public health is dynamic and must respond in innovative ways to emerging challenges to world health.
