Public education in venereal disease.

Health education, now well-recognized as an essential tool of preventive medicine, is becoming an increasingly important part of the work of Local Health Authorities. As recognition has been given to the need for an enlightened public able to cooperate in the promotion of health and the prevention of illness, more Local Authorities have taken advantage of the powers given to them under the Public Health Act (1936), The National Health Services Act (1946), and the Education Act (1944) to undertake schemes of health education. During the past 2 or 3 years more Local Authorities have appointed a full-time Health Education Officer to the staff of the Medical Officer of Health. In Sheffield the Public Health Department had been active in carrying out public programmes of education for many years, and in 1959 the amount of health teaching undertaken by the staff was such that a comprehensive Health Education Service was established to organize and co-ordinate the work, and to give support to all health, education, and welfare workers willing and able to contribute to the programme. The Sheffield Health Education Service was based at the first Health Education Centre in Britain (which formed the focal point of activities carried out). From 1959 the work of the Service developed rapidly and in 1964 the Centre was transferred to new premises which have extensive facilities-including administrative offices, lecture theatres, an exhibition hall, and technical workshops, photographic and artistic departments, and display stores. The main functions of the Health Education Centre are these: (1) The organization of a continuous comprehensive programme of health education covering all aspects of mental, emotional, physical, and social healthat home, work, school, and leisure-including the arrangement of lectures, film shows, discussion