A
health department or
health ministry is a part of
government which focuses on issues related to the general
health of the
citizenry.
Subnational entities, such as
states,
counties and
cities, often also operate a health department of their own. Health departments perform
food inspections and other health related inspections (the person who performs this job is often called a
public health inspector),
vaccination programs, free
STD and
HIV tests, tobacco enforcement and cessation programs, and other
medical assistance programs. Health departments also compile
statistics about health issues of their area. In 1986, several of the worlds' national health departments met to establish an international guideline by which health departments operate. The meeting was in
Ottawa, Canada, and hence the guidelines established are known as the
Ottawa Charter. The Ottawa Charter was designed to ‘achieve Health for All’.