Public Health Workforce

There has been limited leadership research on emotional intelligence and trust in governmental public health settings. The purpose of this study was to identify and seek to understand the relationship between trust and elements of emotional intelligence, including stress management, at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH). The KDPH serves as Kentucky's state governmental health department. KDPH is led by a Commissioner and composed of seven primary divisions and 25 branches within those divisions. The study was a non-randomized cross-sectional study utilizing electronic surveys that evaluated conditions of trust among staff members and emotional intelligence among supervisors. Pearson correlation coefficients and corresponding p-values are presented to provide the association between emotional intelligence scales and the conditions of trust. Significant positive correlations were observed between supervisors' stress management and the staff members' trust or perception of supervisors' loyalty (r = 0.6, p = 0.01), integrity (r = 0.5, p = 0.03), receptivity (r = 0.6, p = 0.02), promise fulfillment (r = 0.6, p = 0.02), and availability (r = 0.5, p = 0.07). This research lays the foundation for emotional intelligence and trust research and leadership training in other governmental public health settings, such as local, other state, national, or international organizations. This original research provides metrics to assess the public health workforce with attention to organizational management and leadership constructs. The survey tools could be used in other governmental public health settings in order to develop tailored training opportunities related to emotional intelligence and trust organizations.

With the growth and complexity of current challenges such as globalization, health threats, and ageing society, financial constraints, and social and health inequalities, amultidisciplinary public health workforce is needed, supported by new skills and expertise. It has been demonstrated that public health education needs to include a wider range of health related professionals including: managers, health promotion specialists, health economists, lawyers and pharmacists. In the future, public health professionals will increasingly require enhanced communication and leadership skills, as well as a broad, interdisciplinary focus, if they are to truly impact upon the health of the population and compete successfully in today‘s job market. New developments comprise flexible academic programmes, lifelong learning, employability, and accreditation. In Europe‘s current climate of extreme funding constraints, the need for upgrading public health training and education is more important than...

Background Community health workers (CHWs) are widely recognized as essential to addressing disparities in health care delivery and outcomes in US vulnerable populations. In the state of Arizona, the sustainability of the workforce is threatened by low wages, poor job security, and limited opportunities for training and advancement within the profession. CHW voluntary certification offers an avenue to increase the recognition, compensation, training, and standardization of the workforce. However, passing voluntary certification legislation in an anti-regulatory state such as Arizona posed a major challenge that required a robust advocacy effort. Case presentation In this article, we describe the process of unifying the two major CHW workforces in Arizona, promotoras de salud in US-Mexico border communities and community health representatives (CHRs) serving American Indian communities. Differences in the origins, financing, and even language of the population-served contributed to h...

The year 2008 marks the 55th anniversary of the graduate public health programme in Singapore. This article traces the evolution of the programme-from the Diploma in Public Health in 1953 to the Master of Public Health in 2007-in response to changing challenges and needs. It also discusses the role Singapore can continue to play in addressing global inequities in access to public health education and in strengthening public health capacity in the region and beyond. Key words: Global Health, Master of Public Health, Public Health Education, Public Health Training, Public Health Workforce

Introduction: Public health is continuously challenged by a shortage of workforce. There are various reasons for this: 1) public health is less visible than traditional health professions and people may be unfamiliar with the nature and opportunities involved in entering this career field; 2) lack of official recognition of public health as a professional category; and 3) no umbrella organization that supports its members and governs professional standards as is the case of other more established professions. To adequately address the challenges of public health for the 21 st century, a key policy element will need to focus on adequately cultivating, training and growing the future workforce of professionals in the field. The aim of this study was to examine why professionalization of public health in Europe is not as robust as it deserves to be and what steps can be taken to assure an adequate supply of professionals with the proper education and training background, and career guidance to tackle the public health needs of the future. Method: A case study approach was used collecting data via a scoping literature review, a focus group with public health students and interviews with public health experts for convergence. Data was analysed using directed content analysis and pattern matching logic. Results: Public health fulfilled five out of seven attributes of a profession, such as skills, training and education, certification and an altruistic service. Recognition of Public Health as multidisciplinary and multi-professional field, derived from the interviews as an additional characteristic. A code of ethics and professional conduct and a formal organization were missing. Conclusion: Public health professionals and organisations that govern best practices in this field should consider introducing a shared code of ethics and professional conduct as well as establishing a coordinated body to help advance the public status as a the profession to increase interest in studying and specializing in this area.

Introduction: Public health is continuously challenged by a shortage of workforce. There are various reasons for this: 1) public health is less visible than traditional health professions and people may be unfamiliar with the nature and opportunities involved in entering this career field; 2) lack of official recognition of public health as a professional category; and 3) no umbrella organization that supports its members and governs professional standards as is the case of other more established professions. To adequately address the challenges of public health for the 21 st century, a key policy element will need to focus on adequately cultivating, training and growing the future workforce of professionals in the field. The aim of this study was to examine why professionalization of public health in Europe is not as robust as it deserves to be and what steps can be taken to assure an adequate supply of professionals with the proper education and training background, and career guidance to tackle the public health needs of the future. Method: A case study approach was used collecting data via a scoping literature review, a focus group with public health students and interviews with public health experts for convergence. Data was analysed using directed content analysis and pattern matching logic. Results: Public health fulfilled five out of seven attributes of a profession, such as skills, training and education, certification and an altruistic service. Recognition of Public Health as multidisciplinary and multi-professional field, derived from the interviews as an additional characteristic. A code of ethics and professional conduct and a formal organization were missing. Conclusion: Public health professionals and organisations that govern best practices in this field should consider introducing a shared code of ethics and professional conduct as well as establishing a coordinated body to help advance the public status as a the profession to increase interest in studying and specializing in this area.

Introduction: Public health is continuously challenged by a shortage of workforce. There are various reasons for this: 1) public health is less visible than traditional health professions and people may be unfamiliar with the nature and opportunities involved in entering this career field; 2) lack of official recognition of public health as a professional category; and 3) no umbrella organization that supports its members and governs professional standards as is the case of other more established professions. To adequately address the challenges of public health for the 21st century, a key policy element will need to focus on adequately cultivating, training and growing the future workforce of professionals in the field. The aim of this study was to examine why professionalization of public health in Europe is not as robust as it deserves to be and what steps can be taken to assure an adequate supply of professionals with the proper education and training background, and career guid...

Health services quality and sustainability rely mainly on a qualified workforce. Adequately trained public health personnel protect and promote health, avert health disparities, and allow rapid response to health emergencies. Evaluations of the healthcare workforce typically focus on physicians and nurses in curative medical venues. Few have evaluated public health workforce capacity building or sought to identify gaps between the academic training of public health employees and the needs of the healthcare organizations in which they are employed. This project report describes the conceptual framework of “Sharing European Educational Experience in Public Health for Israel (SEEEPHI): harmonization, employability, leadership, and outreach”—a multinational Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education funded project. By sharing European educational experience and knowledge, the project aims to enhance professionalism and strengthen leadership aspects of the public health workforce in ...

Background: Public health workforce planning and policy development require adequate data on the public health workforce and the services provided. If existing data sources do not contain the necessary information, or apply to part of the workforce only, primary data collection is required. The aim of this study was to develop a strategy to enumerate and characterize the public health workforce and the provision of essential public health operations (EPHOs), and apply this to the environmental public health workforce in the Netherlands as an example. Methods: We specified WHO's EPHOs for environmental public health and developed an online questionnaire to assess individual involvement in these. Recruitment was a two-layered process. Through organisations with potential involvement in environmental public health, we invited environmental public health workers (n = 472) to participate in a national survey. Existing benchmark data and a group of national environmental public health experts provided opportunities for partial validity checks. Results: The questionnaire was well accepted and available benchmark data on physicians supported the results of this study regarding the medical part of the workforce. Experts on environmental public health recognized the present results on the provision of EPHOs as a reasonable reflection of the actual situation in practice. All EPHOs were provided by an experienced, highly educated and multidisciplinary workforce. 27 % of the total full-time equivalents (FTEs) was spent on EPHO 'assuring governance for health'. Only 4 % was spent on 'health protection'. The total FTEs were estimated as 0.66 /100,000 inhabitants. Conclusions: Characterisation of the public health workforce is feasible by identification of relevant organisations and individual workers on the basis of EPHOs, and obtaining information from those individuals by questionnaire. Critical factors include the operationalization of the EPHOS into the field of study, the selection and recruitment of eligible organisations and the response rate within organisations.. When existing professional registries are incomplete or do not exist, this strategy may provide a start to enumerate the quantity and quality of the public health within or across countries.

Career Services is famous for offering top-tier medical education opportunities in India and medical courses admissions to prestigious private colleges for MBBS, MS, and MD courses. These programs equip students with comprehensive medical knowledge, clinical skills, and professional expertise, ensuring they become competent and compassionate healthcare professionals. MBBS Program The Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) is the foundational medical degree that EICS helps students pursue. This rigorous program typically spans five and a half years, including a yearlong compulsory internship. The curriculum is meticulously crafted to cover basic sciences, clinical practices, and community health, providing students with a holistic understanding of medicine.

The public health sector of any country deals on the forefront and utilizes the multidisciplinary approach. In India the Masters of Public Health graduates are trained in unstandardized manner and lack a regulatory body. The gap created in serving the unserved can easily be fulfilled by utilization of this workforce in systematic manner, The emerging competition in the field, undervalued sector in terms of monitory benefits, poor demand and limited training institutions for MPH graduates along with the contribution of MPH during COVID 19 pandemic has been emphasized in the article. The perception of those working in the field has been highlighted with the way ahead of MPH program in India.

Context: Public health accreditation is an ongoing national movement to improve the quality of 4 public health departments and the public health system in the US; however, calls have been 5 made for more evidence regarding best practices in the accreditation process. 6 Objective: The purpose of this work is to provide evidence about best practices in the 7 accreditation process, specifically within the workforce development domain. It is the first in-8 depth investigation into workforce development using data collected by PHAB. 9 Design: Using de-identified accreditation application data from PHAB, this study employs a 10 mixed methods approach to examining practices, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies 11 pertaining to workforce development planning for Domain 8.

Background: To improve quality and consistency of health departments, a voluntary accreditation process was developed by the Public Health Accreditation Board. Understanding accreditation's role as a mediator in workforce training needs, satisfaction, and awareness is important for continued improvement for governmental public health. Objective: To compare differences in training needs, satisfaction/intent to leave, and awareness of public health concepts for state and local health department staff with regard to their agency's accreditation status. Design: This cross-sectional study considered the association between agency accreditation status and individual perceptions of training needs, satisfaction, intent to leave, and awareness of public health concepts, using 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) data. Respondents were categorized on the basis of whether their agencies (at the time of survey) were (1) uninvolved in accreditation, (2) formally involved in accreditation, or (3) accredited. Results: Multivariate logistic regression models found several significant differences, including the following: individuals from involved state agencies were less likely to report having had their training needs assessed; staff from accredited and involved agencies identified more gaps in selected skills; and employees of accredited agencies were more aware of quality improvement. While state employees in accredited and formally involved agencies reported less job satisfaction, there were no significant differences in intent to leave or burnout. Differences were identified concerning awareness of various public health concepts, especially among respondents in state agencies. Conclusions: While some findings were consistent with past research (eg, link between accreditation and quality improvement), others were not (eg, job satisfaction). Several self-reported skill gaps were unanticipated, given accreditation's emphasis on training. Potentially, as staff are exposed to accreditation topics, they gain more appreciation of skills development needs. Findings suggest opportunities to strengthen workforce development components when revising accreditation measures.

Context and Background: The newest era of public health, deemed "Public Health 3.0," supports cross-sector collaborations to address social determinants of health. These activities often require collaborations with nontraditional public health entities. As this new era begins, it is important to understand perceptions of the public health workforce with regard to Public Health 3.0. Objective: To assess perceptions of support toward Public Health 3.0 activities by the public health workforce, identify characteristics associated with support, and measure concordance in support between agency directors and the general workforce. Design: This cross-sectional study utilizes the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey to understand support and concordance regarding Public Health 3.0 activities by a nationally representative sample of governmental public health employees. Logistic regression models are used to identify characteristics associated with support of each 3.0 activity and concordance. Main Outcome Measures: Governmental public health employees' opinions on how involved their agency should be in the K-12 education system, the economy, the built environment, transportation, housing, social connectedness, and health equity within their jurisdiction and concordance in support of involvement between agency directors and the general workforce. Results: Overall, individual perceptions supporting involvement were highest for health equity and social connectedness and lowest for transportation. Supervisory status, education, and being at a local health department were associated with greater odds of supporting all 3.0 activities. Concordance with agency directors was greatest among other executives relative to nonsupervisors. Conclusions: There is overall generally high support of many 3.0 activities, but there are gaps in agreement by supervisory status, gender, race/ethnicity, education, role type, and jurisdiction. Findings may help support agency leaders in better communicating the role of their agencies in Public Health 3.0 activities, and workforce education regarding such activities may be necessary for the success of Public Health 3.0's success.

Context: Public health accreditation is an ongoing national movement to improve the quality of public health departments and the public health system in the United States; however, calls have been made for more evidence regarding best practices in the accreditation process. Objective: The purpose of this work is to provide evidence about best practices in the accreditation process, specifically within the workforce development domain. It is the first in-depth investigation into workforce development using data collected by Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Design: Using deidentified accreditation application data from PHAB, this study employs a mixed-methods approach to examining practices, lessons learned, challenges, and strategies pertaining to workforce development planning for Domain 8. Setting: United States. Participants: US state (n = 19) and local health departments (n = 115). Main Outcome Measures: Public Health Accreditation Board assessment scores for the workfor...

Human resource for health is one of the most vital facets of the healthcare system. In the Indian context, healthcare services system is perceived as suffering a deficit in appropriateness, number and availability of resources, especially in rural and tribal areas. Towards improving this scenario there have been consistent public policy efforts. "Ayushman Bharat" Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana being most recent one launched in 2018 towards improving the public healthcare delivery system. Following the national trait of Ayushman Bharat, Maharashtra state health society took steps towards strengthening the delivery of primary health care through the establishment of "Health and Wellness Centres (HWC)" as the platform to deliver comprehensive primary health care through "Community Health Officer (CHO)" recruitment. The article analyses scope and concerns of utilizing AYUSH professionals towards bridging gaps of human resources for health by exploring the current policy adopted for recruitment of CHOs under National Health Mission (NHM) of Maharashtra state.

Background: Developing public health educational programs that provide workers prepared to adequately respond to health system challenges is an historical dilemma. In India, the focus on public health education has been mounting in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic is a harbinger of the increasing complexities surrounding public health challenges and the overdue need to progress public health education around the world. This paper aims to explore strengths and challenges of public health educational institutions in India, and elucidate unique opportunities to emerge as a global leader in reform. Methods: To capture the landscape of public health training in India, we initiated a web-based desk review of available offerings and categorized by key descriptors and program qualities. We then undertook a series of in-depth interviews with representatives from a purposively sample of institutions and performed a qualitative SWOT analysis. Results: We found that public health education exists in many formats in India. Although Master of Public Health (MPH) and similar programs are still the most common type of public health training outside of community medicine programs, other postgraduate pathways exist including diplomas, PhDs, certificates and executive trainings. The strengths of public health education institutions include research capacities, financial accessibility, and innovation, yet there is a need to improve collaborations and harmonize training with well-defined career pathways. Growing attention to the sector, improved technologies and community engagement all hold exciting potential for public health education, while externally held misconceptions can threaten institutional efficacy and potential. Conclusions: The timely need for and attention to public health education in India present a critical juncture for meaningful reform. India may also be well-situated to contextualize and scale the types of trainings needed to address complex challenges and serve as a model for other countries and the world.

BackgroundUnderstanding the importance of educational accreditation standards for health and health workforce policymaking is needed more than ever given the growing circulation of physicians, cross-border care and population needs. The World Health Organization National Health Workforce Accounts (WHO/NHWA) for education and training could support the achievement of health care quality through health workforce strategies. ObjectiveTo assess the effect of the accreditation standards on the quality of undergraduate medical studies and to assess their potential to support quality improvement in health workforce education and health policy planning.MethodsStudy design is based on a multimodal approach revealing the qualitative (review of official documents, two internal reports on accreditation, literature) and quantitative data (descriptive analysis, 2010-2018) as resources for evaluation of the national accreditation standards, and mapping with WHO/NHWA indicators on education and tra...

Recruitment and retention of public health workers (PHWs) is crucial for the optimal functioning of the public health system at a time of budget cuts and the threat of a pandemic. Individual and job-related variables were examined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify predictors of the intention to leave a job during the COVID-19 outbreak among Serbian PHWs in 25 institutes of public health (n = 1663 respondents, of which 73.1% were female). A total of 20.3% of PHWs intended to leave their current job within the next five years. Males and persons aged younger than 55 years who had additional practice were more likely to report an intention to leave their job than females, those older than 54 years and those without additional work. While uncertainty and fear of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic were almost perceived as job attractiveness, other job-related characteristics were identified as significant barriers to maintaining the sufficient capacity of ...

India, the second most populous country in the world, has 17% of the world's population but its total share of global disease burden is 21%. With epidemiological transition, the challenge of the public health system is to deal with a high burden of noncommunicable diseases, while still continuing the battle against communicable diseases. To combat this progression, public health capacity-building initiatives for the health workforce are necessary to develop essential skills in epidemiology and competencies in other related fields of public health. This study is an effort to systematically explore the training programmes in epidemiology in India and to understand the demand-supply dynamics of epidemiologists in the country. A systematic, predefined approach, with three parallel strategies, was used to collect and assemble the data regarding epidemiology training in India and assess the demand-supply of epidemiologists in the country. The programmes offering training in epidemiolo...

Recruitment and retention of public health workers (PHWs) is crucial for the optimal functioning of the public health system at a time of budget cuts and the threat of a pandemic. Individual and job-related variables were examined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify predictors of the intention to leave a job during the COVID-19 outbreak among Serbian PHWs in 25 institutes of public health (n = 1663 respondents, of which 73.1% were female). A total of 20.3% of PHWs intended to leave their current job within the next five years. Males and persons aged younger than 55 years who had additional practice were more likely to report an intention to leave their job than females, those older than 54 years and those without additional work. While uncertainty and fear of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic were almost perceived as job attractiveness, other job-related characteristics were identified as significant barriers to maintaining the sufficient capacity of ...

This opinion piece focuses on global health action by hands-on bottom-up practice: initiation of an organizational framework and securing financial efficiency are - however - essential, both clearly a domain of well-trained public health professionals. Examples of action are cited in the four main areas of global threats: planetary climate change, global divides and inequity, global insecurity and violent conflicts, and global instability and financial crises. In conclusion, a stable health systems policy framework would greatly enhance success. However, such organizational framework dries out if not linked to public debates channeling fresh thoughts and controversial proposals: the structural stabilization is essential but has to serve not to dominate bottom-up activities. In other words, a horizontal management is required, a balanced equilibrium between bottom-up initiative and top-down support. Last but not least, rewarding voluntary and charity work by public acknowledgment is ...

Background: Retention of skilled health workforce in rural and remote areas is a global problem. While global literature is expanding towards rural retention, however, in the developing countries like India, there is little information available on relevant strategies for implementation of universal healthcare policies and provision of equitable health care distribution. In this review article, the current strategies to retain healthcare professionals are generally be grouped into educational, financial, regulatory and supportive strategies. After that, we document and debate two cadres (i.e. physicians and nurses) involved in primary health care in India and the strategies adopted for improved rural retention in these cadres. We also provide ample evidence to support these strategies and analyze their rationale in augmenting health workforce distribution in India. Lastly, we propose pragmatic ways to deal with future human resource for health reforms. Methods: Literature search was conducted in various electronic databases such as Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PUBMED and EMBASE with relevant key words such as doctors, nurses, health workers, health care professionals, human resources for health, etc. Additional studies were also identified through crossreferences and websites of official agencies. Results: We found that, in educational strategy, reservation for post-graduation seats for medical graduates and in-service physicians (doctors currently working in primary health centres) have been employed in various states of India for rural service. The financial incentive strategy includes incentivizing rural service for both medical doctors and nurses. Under regulatory strategies, better workforce management such as transparent posting mechanisms, shorter recruitment procedures and rotational postings in difficult areas have been employed. Apart from this, other types of health workers such rural medical assistants (RMAs) and alternative medicine (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy)-collectively known as AYUSH have also been trained and recruited for rural health care practice. Conclusion: In India, rural retention strategies are predominately focused towards physicians. However, state-based evidence and international literature suggest that by providing appropriate financial incentives for rural service to nurses and other cadres such as AYUSH and RMAs is cost-effective and less challenging than the allopathic cadre. Hence, there is an advantage on strengthening rural incentive strategies in these cadres. Further, for these cadres, along with salary, other non-monetary incentives (such as better working conditions, children's education, good rural living conditions and safety) are needed that can increase rural retention.

Bihar, one of the prominent states in eastern India, has made significant strides in the field of education. The state offers numerous opportunities for aspiring nurses through its various nursing programs. Among these, the General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) course plays a crucial role in producing skilled nursing professionals. In this blog, we will explore the number of GNM colleges in Bihar, shedding light on the availability of educational institutions for those interested in pursuing a career in nursing.

In 2009, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) developed a competency framework to support European Union countries and the European Commission in ensuring a competent public health workforce for Europe. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic emphasised the importance of harmonised public health strategies and competencies across international boundaries, specifically for infectious diseases. This perspective presents the process to update the competency framework for applied infectious disease epidemiology, highlighting ECDC’s efforts to support countries with using the framework. ECDC commissioned the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) to update the framework through publication and dissemination of a technical report and a self-assessment tool linked to training resources. A mixed methods approach to gather input from experts in relevant specialities included qualitative interviews with 42 experts, workshops with E...

Recruitment and retention of public health workers (PHWs) is crucial for the optimal functioning of the public health system at a time of budget cuts and the threat of a pandemic. Individual and job-related variables were examined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify predictors of the intention to leave a job during the COVID-19 outbreak among Serbian PHWs in 25 institutes of public health (n = 1663 respondents, of which 73.1% were female). A total of 20.3% of PHWs intended to leave their current job within the next five years. Males and persons aged younger than 55 years who had additional practice were more likely to report an intention to leave their job than females, those older than 54 years and those without additional work. While uncertainty and fear of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic were almost perceived as job attractiveness, other job-related characteristics were identified as significant barriers to maintaining the sufficient capacity of ...

Manpower is the most crucial resource toward delivery of health planning. Health manpower refers to people who are trained to promote health, to prevent and to cure diseases, and to rehabilitate the sick. The aim of manpower planning is to make available the right kind of personnel in the right number with appropriate skills at the right place at the right time doing the right job. Various types of health resources are doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, radiographer health assistants, health workers, auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM), accredited social health activists (ASHAs), anganwadi workers, trained dais, and so on. Currently, developing countries including India lag behind suggested norms of required health manpower. Presently, India produces 30,000 doctors, 18,000 specialists, 30,000 Ayurveda, Yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) graduates, 54,000 nurses, 15,000 ANMs, and 36,000 pharmacists annually. This production is not equal across the state...

Background Community health workers (CHWs) are widely recognized as essential to addressing disparities in health care delivery and outcomes in US vulnerable populations. In the state of Arizona, the sustainability of the workforce is threatened by low wages, poor job security, and limited opportunities for training and advancement within the profession. CHW voluntary certification offers an avenue to increase the recognition, compensation, training, and standardization of the workforce. However, passing voluntary certification legislation in an anti-regulatory state such as Arizona posed a major challenge that required a robust advocacy effort. Case presentation In this article, we describe the process of unifying the two major CHW workforces in Arizona, promotoras de salud in US-Mexico border communities and community health representatives (CHRs) serving American Indian communities. Differences in the origins, financing, and even language of the population-served contributed to h...

Sufficient number of competent public health professionals are an important prerequisit for the normal functioning of the health systems. At present, the number and type of institutions carrying out undergraduate education and training in public health varies broadly both in Europe and the USA. There is a lack of clarity on how much the requirements for professional public health competencies are covered by the content of undergraduate public health programs in Europe. Purpose: To analyse the content of Bachelor Public Health programmes in Europe, in relation to the requirements for professional competences introduced by ASPHER in 2014 (Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region). Methods: An online questionnaire was developed and distributed via the Internet platform Google Forms to 214 universities in Europe. The electronic survey included 50 questions clarifying availability of study subjects and topics from 7 main areas of competences proposed by ASPHER: Methods in Public

There has been limited leadership research on emotional intelligence and trust in governmental public health settings. The purpose of this study was to identify and seek to understand the relationship between trust and elements of emotional intelligence, including stress management, at the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH). The KDPH serves as Kentucky's state governmental health department. KDPH is led by a Commissioner and composed of seven primary divisions and 25 branches within those divisions. The study was a non-randomized cross-sectional study utilizing electronic surveys that evaluated conditions of trust among staff members and emotional intelligence among supervisors. Pearson correlation coefficients and corresponding p-values are presented to provide the association between emotional intelligence scales and the conditions of trust. Significant positive correlations were observed between supervisors' stress management and the staff members' trust or perception of supervisors' loyalty (r = 0.6, p = 0.01), integrity (r = 0.5, p = 0.03), receptivity (r = 0.6, p = 0.02), promise fulfillment (r = 0.6, p = 0.02), and availability (r = 0.5, p = 0.07). This research lays the foundation for emotional intelligence and trust research and leadership training in other governmental public health settings, such as local, other state, national, or international organizations. This original research provides metrics to assess the public health workforce with attention to organizational management and leadership constructs. The survey tools could be used in other governmental public health settings in order to develop tailored training opportunities related to emotional intelligence and trust organizations.

Summary: In 2011, ASPHER established the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA). This represented the culmination of nearly a quarter of a century of activities dating back to 1988 in developing and assuring quality in public health education in Europe. This article provides a brief history of APHEA, outlines current activities, and explores the experiences of some of those who have participated in the process to date.

Introduction: COVID-19 has caused an impending disaster with combined
social and economic effects. The socio-economic effects of the pandemic
are devastating whereby millions of the population drove towards
poverty; with nearly 690 million population left undernourished.
COVID-19 has demanded efficient healthcare to combat the disease,
however, the millions of reported deaths indicate insufficient and
unprepared public healthcare.
Objective: To analyse the relationship between public healthcare
services and COVID deaths.

Health and well being of human resource plays an important role in the economic as well as social development of the country. To ensure better health of the people an adequate healthcare infrastructure is of primary importance. Inadequate infrastructure generally leads to poor quality of health services which is positively dangerous to health and welfare of the community at large. About 68% of India’s population still lives in rural areas, yet healthcare infrastructures in these areas are in pathetic condition. There are very few government health centers and even those are devoid of most of the medical facilities and personnel’s. Although the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), launched in 2005 has made significant progress in the healthcare infrastructure (mainly in physical infrastructure) in rural areas and has impacted the lives of rural masses to some extent but it has simultaneously failed to bring desired results because of lack of implementation. So the accessibility and ...

Background: Retention of skilled health workforce in rural and remote areas is a global problem. While global literature is expanding towards rural retention, however, in the developing countries like India, there is little information available on relevant strategies for implementation of universal healthcare policies and provision of equitable health care distribution. In this review article, the current strategies to retain healthcare professionals are generally be grouped into educational, financial, regulatory and supportive strategies. After that, we document and debate two cadres (i.e. physicians and nurses) involved in primary health care in India and the strategies adopted for improved rural retention in these cadres. We also provide ample evidence to support these strategies and analyze their rationale in augmenting health workforce distribution in India. Lastly, we propose pragmatic ways to deal with future human resource for health reforms. Methods: Literature search was conducted in various electronic databases such as Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PUBMED and EMBASE with relevant key words such as doctors, nurses, health workers, health care professionals, human resources for health, etc. Additional studies were also identified through crossreferences and websites of official agencies. Results: We found that, in educational strategy, reservation for post-graduation seats for medical graduates and in-service physicians (doctors currently working in primary health centres) have been employed in various states of India for rural service. The financial incentive strategy includes incentivizing rural service for both medical doctors and nurses. Under regulatory strategies, better workforce management such as transparent posting mechanisms, shorter recruitment procedures and rotational postings in difficult areas have been employed. Apart from this, other types of health workers such rural medical assistants (RMAs) and alternative medicine (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy)-collectively known as AYUSH have also been trained and recruited for rural health care practice. Conclusion: In India, rural retention strategies are predominately focused towards physicians. However, state-based evidence and international literature suggest that by providing appropriate financial incentives for rural service to nurses and other cadres such as AYUSH and RMAs is cost-effective and less challenging than the allopathic cadre. Hence, there is an advantage on strengthening rural incentive strategies in these cadres. Further, for these cadres, along with salary, other non-monetary incentives (such as better working conditions, children's education, good rural living conditions and safety) are needed that can increase rural retention.

Introduction: COVID-19 has caused an impending disaster with combined
social and economic effects. The socio-economic effects of the pandemic
are devastating whereby millions of the population drove towards
poverty; with nearly 690 million population left undernourished.
COVID-19 has demanded efficient healthcare to combat the disease,
however, the millions of reported deaths indicate insufficient and
unprepared public healthcare.
Objective: To analyse the relationship between public healthcare
services and COVID deaths.
Methodology: The study used basic descriptive methods: averages,
percentages, and correlation. To analyse the effects of healthcare
infrastructure and healthcare services on COVID deaths, a multivariate
linear regression model was used.
Results: A high positive correlation was found between COVID deaths
and healthcare infrastructure and services. Sub-centres and district
hospitals have a negative yet insignificant effect on COVID deaths with
parameter estimates of -1.07108 and -166.458 respectively. Community
Health Centre and Primary Health Centre have positive and insignificant
effects on COVID deaths with parameter estimates of 10.28023 and
11.60391 respectively. Nurses and pharmacists (PHC andCHC) have a
negative and insignificant effect with parameter estimates of -1.4027
and -3.38527 respectively. Doctors (PHC) and laboratory technicians
(PHC and CHC) have a positive and insignificant effect with parameter
estimates of 6.124071 and 5.347605 respectively. F-statistic value was
found to be significant in both models.
Conclusion: Healthcare infrastructure and services have been insignificant
at reducing the recovered COVID cases and COVID deaths.
Keywords: North-Eastern States (NES), COVID-19, Health
Infrastructure, Demographic Factors, Preventive Factors

Health can be considered as the state of being free from illness or injury. A health facility is a facility where quality health care access is provided. The number and quality of health facilities in a country or region is common measures of that area’s prosperity and quality of life. Therefore, health infrastructure is one of socio economic indicators of an area. As per the guideline of the WHO, the Doctor Population ratio should be 1:1000 but in case of India it is very pathetic as the ratio stands at 1:1456 (Economic survey 2019-20) and the state of Assam is more pathetic i.e 1:1800. A health status of a region is dependent on the health care availability provided in the region. The district Kokrajhar is situated in the westernmost part of Assam and is lacking far behind in health care facilities as compared to other districts of the state. Most of the families belong to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and their PCI is also one of the lowest. The reason for poor health car...

Health services quality and sustainability rely mainly on a qualified workforce. Adequately trained public health personnel protect and promote health, avert health disparities, and allow rapid response to health emergencies. Evaluations of the healthcare workforce typically focus on physicians and nurses in curative medical venues. Few have evaluated public health workforce capacity building or sought to identify gaps between the academic training of public health employees and the needs of the healthcare organizations in which they are employed. This project report describes the conceptual framework of “Sharing European Educational Experience in Public Health for Israel (SEEEPHI): harmonization, employability, leadership, and outreach”—a multinational Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education funded project. By sharing European educational experience and knowledge, the project aims to enhance professionalism and strengthen leadership aspects of the public health workforce in ...

During the past century, public health has made major contributions to longer and better lives, through prevention and control of communicable and noncommunicable diseases and injuries, not only in industrialized nations but also worldwide. Public health, delivered through the organized efforts of society, benefitted from sanitation, food safety, new and improved vaccines, better nutrition, and successful health promotion that addressed many of the major causes of morbidity and mortality and an increasingly diverse array of public health challenges. One of the core functions of public health is to ensure an adequately organized, trained and supported workforce. In this issue, we address the educational context for training a multidisciplinary workforce to meet the needs of a public health community facing rapidly evolving responsibilities and challenges. Our objective is to promote discussion about effective policies on the public health workforce by governments, universities, schools, civil society, and the international health community, coupled with recognition of the centrality of this topic for their funding and development agendas. This is especially vital during a period of economic distress when there are cuts in public funding, even as threats to health are expanding as a consequence of increasingly global forces. The reviews and case reports in this issue show the diversity of experiences and identify some common themes for future development. Sharing the experience of different parts of the world in training public health workers will, we believe, promote analytic and constructive thinking and practices about curricula, competencies, bachelor's level and postgraduate education, research needs, the role of government, professional and nongovernmental organizations, international accreditation and other important issues. This offers a basis for the coming decades to foster academic and practical environments that can provide a trained public health professional workforce in each country in Europe, and ultimately, globally.

The study of ethics in public health became a societal imperative following the horrors of pre World War II eugenics, the Holocaust, and the Tuskegee Experiment (and more recent similar travesties). International responses led to: the Nuremberg Doctors' Trials, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), and the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CCPCG, 1948), which includes sanctions against incitement to genocide. The Declaration of Geneva (1948) set forth the physician's dedication to the humanitarian goals of medicine, a declaration especially important in view of the medical crimes which had just been committed in Nazi Germany. This led to a modern revision of the Hippocratic Oath in the form of the Declaration of Helsinki (1964) for medical research ethical standards, which has been renewed periodically and adopted worldwide to ensure ethical research practices. Public health ethics differs from traditional biomedical ethics in many respects, specifically in its emphasis on societal considerations of prevention, equity, and population-level issues. Health care systems are increasingly faced with the need to integrate clinical medicine with public health and health policy. As health systems and public health evolve, the ethical issues in health care also bridge the gap between the separation of bioethics and public health ethics in the past. These complexities calls for the inclusion of ethics in public health education curricula and competencies across the many professions in public health, in the policy arena, as well as educational engagement with the public and the lay communities and other stakeholders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the extreme needs of the public health workforce. As societies discuss how to build up the capacity and infrastructure of their systems, it is crucial that young professionals are involved. Previous attempts to incorporate young professionals into the public health workforce have wrestled with inaccessibility, tokenisation, and a lack of mentorship, leading to a loss of potential workforce members and a non-representative workforce that reinforces systemic societal exclusion of diverse young people. These barriers must be addressed through robust mentorship structures, intentional recruitment and continuous support, as well as genuine recognition of the contributions of young professionals to build the sustainable, interdisciplinary, unified public health that is necessary for the future.

Background: Retention of skilled health workforce in rural and remote areas is a global problem. While global literature is expanding towards rural retention, however, in the developing countries like India, there is little information available on relevant strategies for implementation of universal healthcare policies and provision of equitable health care distribution. In this review article, the current strategies to retain healthcare professionals are generally be grouped into educational, financial, regulatory and supportive strategies. After that, we document and debate two cadres (i.e. physicians and nurses) involved in primary health care in India and the strategies adopted for improved rural retention in these cadres. We also provide ample evidence to support these strategies and analyze their rationale in augmenting health workforce distribution in India. Lastly, we propose pragmatic ways to deal with future human resource for health reforms. Methods: Literature search was conducted in various electronic databases such as Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PUBMED and EMBASE with relevant key words such as doctors, nurses, health workers, health care professionals, human resources for health, etc. Additional studies were also identified through crossreferences and websites of official agencies. Results: We found that, in educational strategy, reservation for post-graduation seats for medical graduates and in-service physicians (doctors currently working in primary health centres) have been employed in various states of India for rural service. The financial incentive strategy includes incentivizing rural service for both medical doctors and nurses. Under regulatory strategies, better workforce management such as transparent posting mechanisms, shorter recruitment procedures and rotational postings in difficult areas have been employed. Apart from this, other types of health workers such rural medical assistants (RMAs) and alternative medicine (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy)-collectively known as AYUSH have also been trained and recruited for rural health care practice. Conclusion: In India, rural retention strategies are predominately focused towards physicians. However, state-based evidence and international literature suggest that by providing appropriate financial incentives for rural service to nurses and other cadres such as AYUSH and RMAs is cost-effective and less challenging than the allopathic cadre. Hence, there is an advantage on strengthening rural incentive strategies in these cadres. Further, for these cadres, along with salary, other non-monetary incentives (such as better working conditions, children's education, good rural living conditions and safety) are needed that can increase rural retention.