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@#Introduction: Health is a dynamic, emerging, and interdisciplinary field. To address current health problem challenges, we need a public health workforce constantly adaptable and equipped with the newest skills. This study was to explore the skills needed by public health bachelor’s to work in the health office. Methods: We used qualitative methods. A total of six participants took part in this study. Interviews were held virtually via Zoom Platform in September 2022 using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audio-visual recorded, and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were coded by members of the research team and a thematic analysis was conducted. Results: The majority of participants get jobs in the office through different work entrances. Our study identifies that participants need technical and interpersonal skills to support their job in the health office. Outside learning contributes to developing skills needed by participants. Conclusion: This study represents an initial endeavor to identify the core work-related skills for public health graduates who work in the health office. Future research is needed for longitudinal larger scale quantitative studies to confirm our qualitative findings. In addition, our findings promote transformations on learning for Bachelor of Public Health Program more comprehensively.
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Recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of increase in the ability of public health workforce to detect and respond to the public health threats. For timely implementation of an adequate response and mitigation measure, the standardized and sustainable capacity building programme for frontline public health workforce is the need of hour. National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in partnership with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), developed a three-month in-service Basic Epidemiology Training programme. This is a tailor-made programme for frontline public health workforce to strengthen epidemiological skills. This training was a practical interactive approach to field epidemiology for three months on the job training for frontline public health workforce that addressed the critical skills needed to conduct surveillance effectively at the local level while focusing on improving disease detection, reporting and feedback. The training also demonstrated the role of learning model in form of interaction between the mentor and the mentees. The importance of handhold support given by the mentors to the mentees in quality outbreak investigations and documentation.
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Objective@#Allocation of human resources to address inequalities in the public health system has increasingly attracted societal and political attention. Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) system of China as an example, we evaluated inequality in the public health workforce distribution across different regions in China between 2008 and 2017, with the aim of providing information for policymakers to support resource allocation and address growing health inequities.@*Methods@#We used three standard public health workforce inequality indices - Gini coefficient, Theil L, and Theil T - and spatial autocorrelation analysis to explore spatial clusters of the workforce in different provinces, visualized with geographical tools.@*Results@#The aggregate workforce-to-population ratio decreased from 1.47 to 1.42 per 10,000 population from 2008 to 2017, and was consistently lower than the National Health Commission's (NHC) recommended critical shortage threshold of 1.75. The workforce distribution inequality indices varied by regional socioeconomic and health system development. Geographic clustering of CDCs workforce distribution was evident, with H-H and L-L clusters in western China and the Guangdong-Fujian region, respectively.@*Conclusions@#Our study addressed key issues for government and policymakers in allocation of public health human resources. There is an urgent need for careful identification of analytic questions that will help carry out public health functions in the new era, alongside policy implications for an equitable distribution of the public health workforce focusing on the western region and low-low cluster areas.
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China , Health Workforce , Public Health , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
Background: Building the public health workforce in India along with strengthening the public health systems across the Nation are essential components necessary to achieve the sustainable development goals for India. In the Indian context, there is limited information available for undergraduate public health education. The central aim of this brief study is to elucidate the undergraduate public health education landscape at selected institutions in India.Methods: A mixed methods approach was used in this brief study. First, cross-sectional, scoping review was used. Then, to describe student perceptions and attitude towards undergraduate public health curriculum, primary data were collected by using a questionnaire. A self-administered questionnaire was developed after extensive literature search. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize questionnaire results. Chi-square tests were used to help identify factors that may influence student perceptions and attitudes.Results: Through scoping rapid review and internet search, eight institutions were identified that are offering undergraduate public health courses in India. Most institutes in India have 3 years duration for the undergraduate public health degree courses. Most of students (89%) believed that the undergraduate public health course increased their knowledge in the field of public health. We found an association between student perceptions about community benefits from trained undergraduate public health workforce.Conclusions: The undergraduate public health education initiatives should be promoted and envisioned as a new strategy for public health capacity-building in public health in India.
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RESUMEN Existe una brecha de recursos humanos con formación técnica-operativa que limita la capacidad del sistema de salud peruano para implementar intervenciones en salud pública. El Ministerio de Salud del Perú a través del Instituto Nacional de Salud y el Ministerio de Defensa implementaron un Programa de Entrenamiento en Salud Pública dirigido a jóvenes que realizan el servicio militar acuartelado, sobre la base del perfil de competencias de un técnico en salud pública. El programa consta de siete unidades temáticas dictadas en 390 horas, de las cuales 200 corresponden a prácticas de aulas y de campo. Entre julio de 2014 y diciembre de 2015, el programa se ha desarrollado en diez sedes de las tres fuerzas armadas, capacitando y certificando a 405 jóvenes. La intervención brinda un beneficio educativo adicional al servicio militar, haciéndolo más atractivo como oportunidad de desarrollo y abre una línea laboral en el campo de la salud pública a jóvenes de las zonas más alejadas. Esta experiencia busca incrementar los recursos humanos entrenados en salud pública a nivel técnico operativo. En coordinación con los gobiernos regionales se espera que los egresados sean acogidos e insertados en el sistema de salud pública.
ABSTRACT There is a gap between human resources and technical-operational education that limits the Peruvian health system’s ability to implement public health interventions. The Peruvian Ministry of Health, through the National Health Institute and the Ministry of Defense, implemented a Public Health Training Program addressed to young full-time military servicemen, on the basis of the competency profile of a public health technician. The program consists of seven thematic units given in 390 hours, 200 of which correspond to classroom and field practices. Between July 2014 and December 2015, the program has been carried out in 10 venues of the three armed forces, training and certifying 405 young servicemen. The intervention provides the military service with an additional educational benefit, making it more appealing as a chance for development and opens up a line of work in the public health sector for young people in more remote areas. This experience seeks to increase public health-trained human resources to a technical-operational level. In collaboration with regional governments, graduates are expected to be welcomed and included in the public health system.
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Humans , Public Health , Military Personnel , Peru , Public SectorABSTRACT
A trained and adequate heath workforce forms the crux in designing, implementing and monitoring health programs and delivering quality health services. Education is recognized as a critical instrument for creating such trained health professionals who can effectively address the 21st century health challenges. At present, the Public Health Education in India is offered through medical colleges and also outside the corridors of medical colleges which was not the scenario earlier. Traditionally, Public Health Education has been a domain of medical colleges and was open for medical graduates only. In order to standardize the Postgraduate Medical Education in India, the National Board of Examinations (NBE) was set up as an independent autonomous body of its kind in the country in the fi eld of medical sciences with the prime objective of improving the quality of the medical education. NBE has also played a signifi cant role in enhancing Public Health Education in India through its Diplomat of National Board (DNB) Programs in Social and Preventive Medicine, Health and Hospital Administration, Maternal and Child Health, Family Medicine and Field Epidemiology. It envisions creating a cadre of skilled and motivated public health professionals and also developing a roadmap for postgraduate career pathways. However, there still exists gamut of opportunities for it to engage in expanding the scope of Public Health Education. It can play a key role in accreditation of public health programs and institutions which can transform the present landscape of education of health professionals. It also needs to revisit and re-initiate programs like DNB in Tropical Medicine and Occupational Health which were discontinued. The time is imperative for NBE to seize these opportunities and take necessary actions in strengthening and expanding the scope of Public Health Education in India.
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As a large populous country India always faces a paucity of health workforce. The dearth of these health workforce troubles the public health system of the country. This can better way be managed by a robust public health workforce from different systems of medicine including Ayurveda. The importance of Ayurveda workforce, principles and therapeutics for public health intervention are gaining recognition these days. The present document focuses on the suitability of Ayurveda graduates for public health practice. The best example where Ayurveda graduates are in to hard core public health practice is the appointment of AYUSH doctors under the scheme of “mainstreaming of AYUSH and revitalization of local health traditions” within the broad umbrella of National Rural Health Mission. Government of India has recognized some of the principles and therapeutics of Ayurveda as a mode of intervention to some of the community health problems. Private sectors are also increasingly recognizing the potential of Ayurveda graduates trained in public health for the management and implementation of various public health programmes. It’s indeed high time to recognize the huge potential of Ayurveda graduates as suitable public health workforce on the basis of their training, exposure and interest. The paucity of public health workforce could be replenished to a great extent with such recognition and appreciation.