Landscaping capacity-building initiatives in epidemiology in India: bridging the demand–supply gap

ABSTRACT

India, the second most populous country in the world, has 17% of the world’spopulation but its total share of global disease burden is 21%. With epidemiologicaltransition, the challenge of the public health system is to deal with a high burden ofnoncommunicable diseases, while still continuing the battle against communicablediseases. To combat this progression, public health capacity-building initiativesfor the health workforce are necessary to develop essential skills in epidemiologyand competencies in other related fields of public health. This study is an effortto systematically explore the training programmes in epidemiology in India andto understand the demand–supply dynamics of epidemiologists in the country. Asystematic, predefined approach, with three parallel strategies, was used to collectand assemble the data regarding epidemiology training in India and assess thedemand–supply of epidemiologists in the country. The programmes offering trainingin epidemiology included degree and diploma courses offered by departments ofpreventive and social medicine/community medicine in medical colleges and 19long-term academic programmes in epidemiology, with an estimated annual outputof 1172 per year. The demand analysis for epidemiologists estimated that there isneed for at least 3289 epidemiologists to cater for the demand of various institutionsin the country. There is a wide gap in demand–supply of epidemiologists in thecountry and an urgent need for further strengthening of epidemiology training inIndia. More capacity-building and training initiatives in epidemiology are thereforeurgently required to promote research and address the public health challengesconfronting the country