The field of public health focuses on disease prevention and the well being of a population as a whole, rather than on the health needs of an individual. It has come to be defined as "the science and art of promoting health, preventing disease, prolonging life and improving the quality of life through organized efforts of society." * California continues to face many growing and changing public health problems including emerging infectious diseases, environmental threats, obesity, rural and minority health disparities, and substance abuse, all of which are compounded by a shortage of trained public health professionals.

The new school of public health proposed for UC Davis would parlay the campus's location in California's agricultural heartland, its proximity to the state capital, and its existing academic strengths to focus on population health in a multidisciplinary fashion. The school will be strategically situated to address current topics in public health, drawing from expertise in the Department of Public Health Sciences and from across the campus from our long-recognized strengths in medicine, management, law agriculture, veterinary medicine and the environmental sciences.

^{* Acheson, D. Independent inquiry into inequalities in health. London: HM Stationery Office. 1998.}