Recent trends in public health.

Environmental sanitation is experiencing a reawakening with concerted drives at control of water and atmospheric pollution, mosquito and rodent control, and improvement in restaurant sanitation. Communicable disease control efforts are being intensified. With prolongation of life, chronic diseases are assuming increasing importance as public health problems. Maintenance of standards of hospitals and provision for more adequate hospital facilities are also receiving attention. Mental health and chronic alcoholism are being considered as a public health problem. With all these new trends emphasizing prevention of disease, increasing teamwork between physicians in private practice and in public health practice is being manifested. Preventive medicine and public health are now a recognized specialty in medicine.