Conclusion
The brief discussion in this chapter has only touched on selected aspects of a few of the successful public health interventions discussed in DCP2. Much more can be learned from these stories, but perhaps the greatest value is to dispel cynicism in the face of what sometimes appear to be overwhelming challenges.
" when public health interventions forestall epidemics and prevent diseases, they are invisible successes "
Ironically, when public health interventions forestall epidemics and prevent diseases, they are invisible successes: it is only the failures that make the news. By documenting how millions of people have been saved through concerted action, DCP2 and Millions Saved provide an opportunity to acknowledge, celebrate, and learn from successes; to appreciate their variety; and to assume a degree of informed optimism, which may be another ingredient essential to success.
Notes
1 Indeed, the DCP2 authors nominated another 26 interventions as clear examples of success in public health, but these had to be set aside because of a lack of formal evidence regarding their effect on health. Thus the absence of more cases in Levine and others (2004) may be attributed more to weaknesses inherent in current evaluation practices than to any paucity of accomplishments in public health.
