PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Scally, Gabriel
AU  - Womack, Justine
TI  - The importance of the past in public health
AID  - 10.1136/jech.2003.014340
DP  - 2004 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
PG  - 751--755
VI  - 58
IP  - 9
4099  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/58/9/751.short
4100  - http://jech.bmj.com/content/58/9/751.full
SO  - J Epidemiol Community Health2004 Sep 01; 58
AB  - Study objective: To explore the role of history in public health and its relevance to current practice and professional development. Design: An analysis of the issues surrounding the poor attention paid to the history of public health by its current practitioners. Setting: The paper is written from the perspective of practitioners in the UK but has wide applicability. Main results: The paper makes the case that the current neglect of public health history is to the detriment of public health practice. Conclusions: There is a strong case for more attention to be paid to public health history in professional formation, development, and communication.