The report also identified the core functions of public health:

Assessment: Regularly and systematically collecting, analyzing and disseminating information on the health of a community, including statistics on health status, epidemiological and other health studies, community health needs, and community assets and resources.

Policy development: Serving the public interest in the development of comprehensive public health policies (laws, regulations, funding) that use the scientific knowledge base in decision making and involving those affected by the policy in the process.

Assurance: Seeing that services necessary to achieve agreed-upon goals (policies) are provided by encouraging actions on the part of others, by requiring action through regulation, or by providing services directly.