scholarly journals Are the academic institutions of public health in Africa able to prepare graduates for UHC?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
N R T Ledibane ◽  
J E Wolvaardt ◽  
K V V Voyi

Abstract Background Current challenges facing the overburdened health systems warrant a review of public health training and development of the health workforce in Africa within the context of the envisioned global goal of universal health coverage (UHC). The integral components informing the relevance of public health education in the setting of UHC comprises the academic workforce, curriculum and institutional capacity. The aim of the study is to assess the capacity of African academic institutions of public health to address the requirements for UHC and sustainable development goals (SDGs), and to develop an institutional self-evaluation tool as part of an accreditation system. Methods Study design: this multi-phase study will employ mixed methods. Study setting: academic institutions of public health at Anglophone, Lusophone, Francophone countries in Africa. Study population: Heads/Deans of Departments/Schools of Public Health, education experts and/or content experts. Various sampling techniques will be employed per study phase. Phase 1 will use an electronic, secure, validated self-administered questionnaire and/or interview schedule to determine the academic workforce demographic characteristics, curriculum characteristics and institutional characteristics. Phase 2 will comprise a Delphi study to determine the items for a self-evaluation tool that will be piloted in Phase 3. STATA version 15 will be used for quantitative analysis and ATLAS.ti software for qualitative analysis. Conclusions The study findings are envisaged to produce a self-evaluation tool that can guide these institutions to align academic training and development in pursuit of realising the SDGs and implementation of UHC. Furthermore, the study findings will be shared with the Association of Schools of Public Health in Africa (ASPHA); and used to strengthen the regional institution capacities and networks of public health. Key messages Thorough systematic planning and preparation in public health education is vital for the successful implementation of UHC. The African region does not have an accreditation system for academic institutions of public health; and while this role can be fulfilled by ASPHA, evaluation tools are needed.

2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Mark Tomita

The Global Health Disparities CD-ROM Project reaffirmed the value of professional associations partnering with academic institutions to build capacity of the USA public health education workforce to meet the challenges of primary prevention services. The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) partnered with the California State University, Chico to produce a CD-ROM that would advocate for global populations that are affected by health disparities while providing primary resources for public health educators to use in programming and professional development. The CD-ROM development process is discussed


2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Mark Tomita

The Global Health Disparities CD-ROM Project reaffirmed the value of professional associations partnering with academic institutions to build capacity of the USA public health education workforce to meet the challenges of primary prevention services. The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) partnered with the California State University, Chico to produce a CD-ROM that would advocate for global populations that are affected by health disparities while providing primary resources for public health educators to use in programming and professional development. The CD-ROM development process is discussed.


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.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. e39020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Krousel-Wood ◽  
Jiang He ◽  
Meredith Booth ◽  
Chung-Shiuan Chen ◽  
Janet Rice ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document