Which term refers to the essential skills and knowledge needed to perform public health activities?

• A. Core Competencies.
• B. Core Functions.
• C. Standards of Practice.
• D. Ethics.

Answer: (A)

Core competencies describe the essential skills and knowledge that public health professionals need to perform the work effectively. They spell out what people in the field should be able to know and do across roles, guiding training, assessment, and credentialing to ensure the workforce can carry out public health activities well. This focus on the capabilities required to execute tasks—rather than the broader activities of public health agencies (core functions), the professional guidelines for practice (standards of practice), or moral principles (ethics)—is what makes core competencies the best answer. For example, competencies include epidemiology, biostatistics, data analysis, communication, cultural competence, and collaboration, which collectively enable competent performance in surveillance, outbreak investigation, program planning, and community engagement.