1. What is policy and why is it important for population health? (2 marks) Policy is a set of principles, rules, or guidelines that direct or influence the actions and decisions of individuals, groups, or organizations. Policy is important for population health because it can shape the social, economic, and environmental determinants of health, create opportunities and incentives for health promotion and disease prevention, and allocate resources and responsibilities for health care and public health services. (Source: https://www.cdc.gov/publichealth101/policy.html) 2. What are the main types of policy instruments and how do they differ in their effectiveness and feasibility? (3 marks) The main types of policy instruments are regulation, taxation/subsidy, information/education, and persuasion/negotiation. They differ in their effectiveness and feasibility depending on the nature of the problem, the target population, the political context, and the ethical implications. For example, regulation may be more effective and feasible for addressing environmental hazards or infectious diseases than for changing individual behaviors or social norms. Taxation/subsidy may be more effective and feasible for influencing market outcomes or redistributing income than for ensuring quality or equity of health care services. Information/education may be more effective and feasible for raising awareness or enhancing skills than for overcoming barriers or motivating action. Persuasion/negotiation may be more effective and feasible for building consensus or resolving conflicts than for enforcing compliance or imposing sanctions. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK228991/) 3. What are the main steps of the policy cycle and what are the key tasks and challenges involved in each step? (5 marks) The main steps of the policy cycle are agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption, policy implementation, and policy evaluation. The key tasks and challenges involved in each step are: