Short Answer Questions

Chapter 13: Protecting the health of the population

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1. What is meant by a non-communicable disease?

A non-communicable disease, or NCD, is a medical condition or disease, which is non-infectious and non-transmissible between people. NCDs may be chronic diseases of long duration and slow progression.

2. What is an HCAI?

A Health Care Acquired Infection.

3. What activities are encompassed by health protection?

• Ensuring the safety and quality of food, water, air and the general environment
• Preventing the transmission of communicable diseases and undertaking immunization programmes
• Managing outbreaks and the other incidents which threaten the public health, e.g. food-borne infections

4. What is meant by herd immunity?

Herd immunity is the term given to the resistance of groups of people to infection and is dependent upon the percentage of the population that have been vaccinated.

5. Name three factors that might be associated with low uptake of childhood vaccination.

• Health service factors, e.g. poor coordination and inaccurate record-keeping.
• Attitudes to the disease: parents' lack of experience of past common diseases, such as measles, lessens their fears of the disease itself.
• Attitudes to the vaccine: media scares about vaccine safety have resulted in anxiety.

6. Give two examples of mass screening programmes in England.

Mass screening is when, regardless of risk, a person is invited to attend for testing in a systematic programme which covers the whole population over a defined period of time. Examples include cervical screening, mammography, bowel cancer or antenatal HIV testing.

7. What is the HPA?

The Health Protection Agency, which is now part of Public Health England.

8. Name three standard precautions in relation to infection prevention and control.

Your answer might include:
• Hand hygiene
• Protective equipment
• Safe handling and disposal of sharps
• Safe handling and disposal of clinical waste
• Managing blood and bodily fluids
• Decontaminating equipment
• Achieving and maintaining a clean clinical environment
• Appropriate use of indwelling devices