PREAMBLE:
This month we bring to your attention a
comprehensive review by Franklin White, on the topic of “The Imperative of Public
Health Education: A Global Perspective.”
Published in the peer reviewed journal Medical Principles and Practice,
this full text article is available on-line free of charge at http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/354198
The abstract as published on
PubMed (US National Library of Medicine), now follows:
ABSTRACT:
White F. The Imperative of Public Health Education: A Global Perspective.
This review positions public health as an endeavour that requires a high
order of professionalism in addressing the health of populations; this requires
investment in an educational capacity that is designed to meet this need. In
the global context, the field has evolved enormously over the past half
century, supported by institutions such as the World Bank, the World Health
Organization and the Institute of Medicine. Operational structures are
formulated by strategic principles, with educational and career pathways guided
by competency frameworks, all requiring modulation according to local, national
and global realities. Talented and well-motivated individuals are attracted by
its multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary environment, and the opportunity to
achieve interventions that make real differences to people's lives. The field
is globally competitive and open to many professional backgrounds based on
merit. Its competencies correspond with assessments of population needs, and
the ways in which strategies and services are formulated. Thus, its educational
planning is needs-based and evidence-driven. This review explores four public
health education levels: graduate, undergraduate, continuing professional
education and promotion of health literacy for general populations. The
emergence of accreditation schemes is examined, focusing on their relative
merits and legitimate international variations. The role of relevant research
policies is recognized, along with the need to foster professional and
institutional networks in all regions of the world. It is critically important
for the health of populations that nations assess their public health human
resource needs and develop their ability to deliver this capacity, and not
depend on other countries to supply it. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.
Full Reference and Link to article:
White F. The Imperative of Public Health Education: A
Global Perspective. Med Princ Pract 2013 August 21 DOI:
10.1159/000354198 [Epub
ahead of print] http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/354198
Note: One of the most comprehensive reviews of its type
(15 journal pages), its observations should be of relevance to institutional
capacity building for public health education in all global regions. Citing over
70 references, the work is a by-product of reviews carried out in support of
public health educational development at Kuwait University; it also draws insights
from an extensive international career in public health (see Wikipedia entry
for Franklin White: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_White).
