6 Public Health Issues to Know in 2025 + Jobs Tackling Them

Public health professionals work to improve the overall health and well-being of the public. Whether preventing diseases or addressing pre-existing conditions, public health professionals seek the highest quality of care for the largest number of people. 

Explore six important public health issues impacting UK citizens today and find a list of common professions working to remedy them. Also, discover online courses to learn more about this career

6 current public health issues you should know 

You’ll find a wide range of important public health issues worth tackling. Consider these six prevalent public health issues in the UK. 

Cardiovascular disease 

Cardiovascular disease affects the heart and blood vessels. According to the British Heart Foundation, 7.6 million people in the UK are currently living with heart and circulatory disease [1]. Professionals estimate that more than half of the UK population will experience a heart or circulatory condition at some point in their lives, and these conditions cause a quarter of all deaths in the UK [1]. 

Several factors increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including smoking, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

HIV

Despite significant medical and health advances in recent years, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a persistent public health concern in both the UK and the world. 

HIV is a virus that attacks an individual’s white blood cells, leading to a weakened immune system. If left untreated, HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which can have a more severe impact on an individual’s immune system, susceptibility to contracting illness, and life expectancy. According to the National Aids Trust, 4,040 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2022 [2]. 

While today HIV or AIDS are conditions that patients can manage with appropriate treatments, their spread continues to be a concern for public health professionals.  

Obesity 

Physical health has a significant impact on the overall health outcomes of both individuals and the general public. The NHS estimates that one in four adults and one in five children aged 10 to 11 in the UK are obese [3]. 

Whilst what constitutes a healthy weight can vary considerably from one person to another, excess weight can open the door to a wide range of health conditions. Obesity, for example, ties to such potentially life-threatening conditions as stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer. 

Key factors in weight gain are nutrition and physical fitness, which can help individuals maintain healthy weights that decrease their likelihood of developing a life-threatening condition. 

Substance abuse: Prescription drugs and alcohol

Substance abuse, particularly through the misuse of prescription drugs and excessive alcohol consumption, is a prevalent public health problem in the UK. 

According to the charity Alcohol Change, alcohol misuse is the biggest risk factor for early death, ill health, and disability among 15- to 49-year-olds in the UK, with 10,048 deaths relating specifically to alcohol in 2022, which is the highest recorded number to date [4, 5].  

Between April 2022 and March 2023, 290,635 people in the UK were in adult substance and alcohol abuse services, with nearly half needing support for opiate addiction [6]. 

Cancer

Cancer is an increasingly common disease that causes harmful cells to multiply uncontrollably. Unfortunately, while various treatments exist for many types of cancer, no cure is currently known. 

The Office of National Statistics reports 149,083 deaths from the disease in the UK in 2022 [7]. According to researchers at Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the odds of someone under 50 developing cancer have increased with each generation [8].

Mental health and suicide

Mental health is a critical aspect of public health. In addition to profoundly impacting individuals' emotional and psychological health, mental health can also impact their physical health. 

Though mental health disorders can be difficult to see from the outside, the reality is that a large percentage of the population deals with mental health problems every day. According to the National Health Service, 17 per cent of adults in England satisfy the criteria for a common mental disorder [9]. In 2021, 5,583 people in England and Wales committed suicide, which is equivalent to 10.7 deaths per 100,000 people [10].

Public health jobs to consider 

Public health is a big field tackling a host of healthcare challenges and a variety of skilled public health professionals focus on resolving these problems. Whether you enjoy working with people or researching in a lab, public health has something for you. 

Some common public health careers you might pursue and their average salaries include the following: 

• Epidemiologist: £40,994

• Virologist: £28,955

• Biostatistician: £43,636 

• Public health educator: £33,611

• Public health analyst: £32,643

• Community services manager: £46,830

• Health policy analyst: £36,051

• Public health consultant: £51,031

*All salary information is the median annual base pay from Glassdoor UK as of July 2024.

Prepare for a public health career with Coursera.

Public health professionals are integral to solving the important health problems that plague our communities every day. Work toward a future career in public health by enrolling in a cost-effective online course, specialisation, or degree through Coursera today. 

Imperial College London’s Foundations of Public Health Specialization introduces learners to the principles that underpin public health and how to apply appropriate health interventions in order to improve public health programs. 

Johns Hopkins’ Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization, meanwhile, provides learners with the core epidemiologic toolset to measure the health of populations, assess interventions, collect and analyse data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics.