PHGN

health for all is important issue of MDG

Genetic epidemiology of chronic common diseases (like diabetes, obesity, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoporosis, NAFLD etc.) in India is still far behind than the western world. Sceening of high risk groups based on genetic factors could only be possible once we able to detect the genetic variants responsible for these chronic diseases. There is a need of establishing fast-track large scale cohort studies (100,000 individuals) for understanding the underlying biological mechanisms of multiple diseases. PHFI can create that resource which is not only useful for research but also for training of new public health students.

Public health professionals have a variety of backgrounds and vast differences exist in the qualifications, experiences, education and training of health workers. New Research models are needed focussing on exploring competencies which correlate with performance at work and the means to improve these competencies through training and development.

HSR is undertaken primarily to provide information to support decision-making that can improve the functioning of the health system. It is evident that many issues in health are interrelated and interact with issues in other sectors, such as education, environment, health facilities and societal factors. In order to be effective, health systems research should be participatory in nature. Involvement of those directly concerned with a particular health or health care problem  including policymakers, managers from the health and other public services, health care providers and the community  is critical if research is to be relevant and appropriate.

A well functioning HIS is needed in public health facilities that may or may not respond to or address all questions but should at least provide some data necessary for identifying priority health needs as well as monitoring the performances of key public health interventions towards certain target population. The regular use of existing HIS will lead to eventual development and improving existing system in various aspects such as accuracy, completeness and timeliness.

There is an increasing need to develop e-partnerships through factors such as frequency and quality of communication, conduct of joint long term projects, exchange of data, stable frameworks and maximum transparency both inside and outside of partnerships. Such virtual learning communities are networked environments in which each member is transformed into a manager of knowledge who enriches the community with his or her own ideas, where there is significant support by technology which simulates the “meeting spot,” and where members have a common reason for belonging to the community.

In the next decade there will be even more need for approaches that allow for inclusion and participation, such as programmes for executives and weekend and intensive programmes, and especially modalities that utilize communications and information technologies. Using ICTs would bring professionals closer, share resources and reach individuals and populations that would otherwise remain at the margins of professional development.

The application of ICTs to health communication efforts is rapidly shifting. Conventional terrestrial technologies such as radio, film, video and television have long held an important place in raising awareness of health issues, in strengthening disease prevention, and in helping to reduce the stigma and discrimination that is often associated with certain diseases. The last decade has witnessed the rapid emergence of new digital information communication technologies and information systems such as internet and telephone which has the potential to revolutionize the way rural and remote populations interact with health service providers .The result has been a significant shift in the way that health care, health information and health communications are both organized and accessed.

Researchers have still not come to the consensus that, training research must be conducted in a rigorous and systematic way .There are a variety of training models which are each present in the health systems. The findings of such research need to be interpreted within the context in which they were discovered as they may not be applicable in every situation. The approach is much more utilitarian as it strives to find information that will directly influence practice.

The training has to extend beyond the educational institution’s facilities to truly have an impact on society. There should be a provision of approaches that may allow continuation of education without leaving the present jobs such as part time, weekend, intensive and distance learning graduate programs.

Most of us are used to knowledge resulting from “systematically collected and analyzed data” and tend to dismiss tacit knowledge as unreliable and subjective .Health providers and health facilities need to promote and encourage an environment for sharing and learning (S&L), with the eventual aim of strengthening team building and collaborative work approach.

Competency based training is essential to match professional education with the practical needs of the public health. Identification of the competencies required by each category level, diagnosis of the performance levels of each one of the competencies and establishment a national continuing training programme (that allows for the participation of the entire workforce and is aligned with human resources, salary, compensation, and professional development policies) are issues that need urgent attention.

includes adoption of a holistic conceptual framework and strengthening conceptualization skills, creating a sense of leadership, and the ability to learn from various sources and through diverse channels of “knowledge”. Public health education must merge approaches from core public health disciplines as well as social sciences and ethics; methodologies should vary and integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches while promoting skill-building and personal development.

It is imperative that the curriculum of schools of public health is appropriately configured, retaining the core strengths of the ‘classic’ public health education programmes but adding on several new components which are relevant to the new public health agenda. The learning settings and pedagogical methods need to be modified to integrate experiential learning and stakeholder perspectives (by developing relevant linkages with the health services, civil society and policy makers).

Management studies are another area where public health orientation has to be increased. There is need to advance public health consciousness by introducing shorter public health oriented modules in all management training; recognizing that health, health care and public health responsibilities are becoming important components of all managers especially as an important factor and investment in human resource development and personnel management.

Public health research needs greater interdisciplinarity and cross-sectoral synergies. There is a critical need to study the multiple determinants of health through a confluence of biological sciences, social and behavioral sciences, epidemiology and other economics and management sciences.

Incomplete integration of research methods and results in policy formulation often leads to inadequate or inappropriate policies. Researchers may not reach out to sensitize policymakers to the importance of public health evidence and efforts that are needed for better integration and utilization of research within health care organizations and systems. Understanding and using research effectively can go a long way in helping individuals and community-based organizations to impact the policy-making process to bring about policy change that benefits the health and sustainability of rural communities.

It is important that a school of public health is closely linked to an existing health system and uses the system as a platform for teaching and learning. A learning health facility needs to link with sources of new knowledge and innovation, to have functioning HIS facilities and to encourage an environment of sharing and learning. Teaching public health should take into account the local (national) reality and priorities.

One of the goals of Public Health Education is to identify a competency framework as the starting point and devise curricula that are not dominated by isolated disciplinary structures. A comprehensive PHE curriculum allows for the necessary integration of content and skills for public health personnel at the primary level. There is a need to shift from pure clinical approaches to applied health systems solutions which are necessary to identify and elucidate problems, test models and monitor and evaluate interventions.

Public Health Education engages students when the training is field oriented and community based. It is in the real life situation that the relevance of an epidemiological or statistical approach to a problem or a social science perspective in problem analysis becomes more evident.