Public health practice in a community collects data on a community’s health and shares it with policymakers from multiple sectors. This is the foundation for the effective delivery of health care, preventive care, and health promotion at a population level. A potential workforce of district health officials needs to be re-oriented and supported in the skills required to practice public health. Both pre-service and in-service approaches are needed. Public health approaches combine top-down campaigns and bottom-up efforts in organizing the efforts of society to create the conditions for health. These collaborative efforts in social organization across multiple sectors make strengthening public health practice one of the best ways to pursue all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, the concept of Universal Health Coverage includes coverage with effective public health practice. District public health staff who ought to be carrying out public health practice are present in most communities. The remaining agenda is to improve the quality and effectiveness of these district-level health sector leaders in implementing public health. Improving public health practice can be carried out for just pennies per person per year. Having countries decide on the essential public health functions for their local health officers is the first step in developing measurements that can be used to help coach the workforce in supportive supervision. National governments can staff a performance improvement unit to carry out regular efforts to collect measurements and share them with front-line workers to develop and make plans for improvement. These quality improvement efforts are a public good that enhances the success of each program in the health sector. Financing for specific programs needs to be extended to pay for the core foundational capabilities of public health required for the success of each program.