scholarly journals 12.G. Workshop: Support4Global Health and SDGs in health workforce education: advocacy and action

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract Background Global health has created new challenges for education and training of health professionals. Changing demand on humanitarian aid and infection control arising from the new corona virus outbreak, antimicrobial resistance, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), immunisation gaps and care needs of refugees meet with conditions that are only since recently considered as major health threats, including gender inequality, health workforce shortage, environmental risks and climate change as well as poor mental health. These developments have resulted in high-level meetings and new policy frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, action on the ground has still to follow. Health professionals are poorly prepared to respond to new global health needs. Public health and healthcare systems face an urgent need to strengthen global health in the education and training of all groups of healthcare workers to create a future workforce, which is capable to implement the SDGs and serve the needs of the population both locally and globally. Objectives This workshop addresses these questions and fosters critical debate. It has three major Objectives: improve advocacy for global health and the SDGs, introduce different models to support and implement global health and the SDGs in health professional education, and strengthen the role of public health in global health. The workshop brings together knowledge and expertise from different countries/regions of the world, professional groups and educational institutions. It seeks to build bridges between disciplines and stakeholder groups, including giving stronger voice to students and young professionals. The workshop illustrates diversity of advocacy and action in global health education, and reveals strong demand for multidisciplinary approaches to respond to population needs. It begins with information on competencies currently valued by global health employers in relation to those developed in graduates of public health programs. This is followed by novel models of global health education, including an institutional collaboration model as West-East hub and a students' driven participatory trans-sectoral model. Further case studies illustrate the benefits of a transdisciplinary approach to respond to major health threats, such as vaccine resistance and Ebola, and the need for including the Global South in gender sensitive research and methodology. The workshop will improve networking of global health advocates. It will add value through knowledge exchange beyond the professional silos, as well as across the global North-South/ East-West. Finally, it will strengthen connections between global health and public health and build capacity for multi-professional, trans-sectoral leadership in global health education and research, which is sensitive to gender and cultural/ethnic diversity. Key messages Strengthening global health competencies in education is a key to respond effectively to new public health challenges and to implement the SGDs. There is growing demand and urgent need for multidisciplinary approaches and transnational collaboration in global health education.

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Perkiö ◽  
R Harrison ◽  
M Grivna ◽  
D Tao ◽  
C Evashwich

Abstract Education is a key to creating solidary among the professionals who advance public health’s interdisciplinary mission. Our assumption is that if all those who work in public health shared core knowledge and the skills for interdisciplinary interaction, collaboration across disciplines, venues, and countries would be facilitated. Evaluation of education is an essential element of pedagogy to ensure quality and consistency across boundaries, as articulated by the UNESCO education standards. Our study examined the evaluation studies done by programs that educate public health professionals. We searched the peer reviewed literature published in English between 2000-2017 pertaining to the education of the public health workforce at a degree-granting level. The 2442 articles found covered ten health professions disciplines and had lead authors representing all continents. Only 86 articles focused on evaluation. The majority of the papers examined either a single course, a discipline-specific curriculum or a teaching method. No consistent methodologies could be discerned. Methods ranged from sophisticated regression analyses and trends tracked over time to descriptions of focus groups and interviews of small samples. We found that evaluations were primarily discipline-specific, lacked rigorous methodology in many instances, and that relatively few examined competencies or career expectations. The public health workforce enjoys a diversity of disciplines but must be able to come together to share diverse knowledge and skills. Evaluation is critical to achieving a workforce that is well trained in the competencies pertinent to collaboration. This study informs the pedagogical challenges that must be confronted going forward, starting with a commitment to shared core competencies and to consistent and rigorous evaluation of the education related to training public health professionals. Key messages Rigorous evaluation is not sufficiently used to enhance the quality of public health education. More frequent use of rigorous evaluation in public health education would enhance the quality of public health workforce, and enable cross-disciplinary and international collaboration for solidarity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-18
Author(s):  
Marijana Bras ◽  
Veljko Đorđević ◽  
Nadja Komnenić

The promotion of person-centered medicine and people-centered healthcare has been occurring in Croatia for decades. Professor Andrija Štampar, considered by many as the father of public health, pioneered various public health projects in Croatia and abroad. Croatia is a country with a long history of patient associations, as well as one with an array of public health projects recognized worldwide. Recently, a group of enthusiasts gathered here to undertake the creation of a variety of projects related to the development of person-centered medicine. The International College on Person Centered Medicine (ICPCM) emerged from the ongoing annual Geneva Conferences and from the aspiration to promote medicine of the person, for the person, by the person, and with the person. The main theme of the First International Congress of the ICPCM in Zagreb in November 2013 was the Whole Person in Health Education and Training. The Zagreb statement on the appraisal and prospects for person-centered medicine in Croatia was formulated and adopted, wherein it was concluded that Croatia could contribute significantly to the development of person-centered medicine and people-centered healthcare, within Croatia and abroad.


2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 801-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Bjegovic-Mikanovic ◽  
Dejana Vukovic ◽  
Robert Otok ◽  
Katarzyna Czabanowska ◽  
Ulrich Laaser

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-165
Author(s):  
Satwinder Rehal

Purpose Open and distance e-learning (ODeL) practices have substantial contributions to make in achieving societal development goals. The challenge however remains with enhancing skilling, training and educating professionals who will contribute to this progress. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how transformative education and training in global health can be undertaken through ODeL in increasing the quality, quantity and relevance of health professional education and training. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a descriptive qualitative case study of the International Health and Development Course offered by the University of the Philippines Open University and is thus limited in its scope from other courses in the program. Findings Transformative education and training through ODeL has the potential of increasing the quality, quantity and relevance of health professionals training. However more critical assessment of transformative learning outcomes is needed via rigorous methods of objectifying such outcomes. Achieving transformative health education and training requires rigorous engagement in constructivist-oriented experiential learning that allow learners to be accustomed to significant interactions achieved by involvement in problem-based methods accomplished through small group e-tivities in order to demonstrate applicability in the real work context. Originality/value The outcome of this paper is relevant to institutions in Asia that offer ODeL-based global health programs through open knowledge systems in order to produce graduates who are more responsive to the evolving health needs amid twenty-first century global health challenges.


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