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The use of propaganda in public health messaging and the extreme harm it can cause is recognised in much of the literature, for example Ethical Issues in Public Health. Affecting behaviour change for improved health outcomes is however, a common goal in public health campaigns. The difference might be best characterised by who has control over the outcome: the recipient of the message or the architect. Discerning between honest health messaging and propaganda is a skill which is exploited by corrupt agendas.
Among the many definitions for “public health”, perhaps the best known was written by the founder of Yale University’s School of Public Health, C.E.A. Winslow in 1920. Consistently relevant for over 100 years, his definition is cited by the New Zealand Ministry of Health: “the science and art of promoting health, preventing disease and prolonging life through the organised efforts of society“.