Publication output in the field of Public Health and its appreciation at political level in Austria.

In a pilot study, we aimed to identify the output of public health research by Austrian university and non-university research institutions and compare it with its translation into Austrian public health policy. A keyword search in PubMed was conducted for the period 2000 to 2013. The 'Public Health Newsletter' published by the Austrian Ministry of Health and the 'Health Reform Law 2013' were used as surrogate indicators for the translation of research into public health policy.A total of 97 publications in peer-reviewed journals showed a wide variation in topics. Comparing the research topics with the articles of the 'Public Health Newsletter', we found identity in the field of communicable diseases. The Health Reform Law 2013 confirms the importance of evidence-based decision-making; yet, it contains no direct mentioning of or relation to research results. Based on our methodology, moderate appreciation of research results at the political level could be found in Austria.

Promoting the health of marginalized populations in Ecuador through international collaboration and educational innovations.

This paper examines two innovative educational initiatives for the Ecuadorian public health workforce: a Canadian-funded Masters programme in ecosystem approaches to health that focuses on building capacity to manage environmental health risks sustainably; and the training of Ecuadorians at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba (known as Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina in Spanish). We apply a typology for analysing how training programmes address the needs of marginalized populations and build capacity for addressing health determinants. We highlight some ways we can learn from such training programmes with particular regard to lessons, barriers and opportunities for their sustainability at the local, national and international levels and for pursuing similar initiatives in other countries and contexts. We conclude that educational efforts focused on the challenges of marginalization and the determinants of health require explicit attention not only to the knowledge, attitudes and skills of graduates but also on effectively engaging the health settings and systems that will reinforce the establishment and retention of capacity in low- and middle-income settings where this is most needed.

Rethinking schools of public health: a strategic alliance model.

Canada is in the midst of rejuvenation of public health organizations, mandates and infrastructure. Major planning exercises are underway regarding public health human resources, where academic institutions have a key role to play. To what extent could schools of public health be part of the solution? Many universities across Canada are considering or in the process of implementing MPH programs (some 17 programs planned and/or underway) and possible schools of public health. However, concerns are raised about critical mass, quality and standards. We encourage innovation and debate about ways to enhance collaborative and structural arrangements for education programs. A school of public health model might emerge from this, but so too might other models. Also, novel types of organizational structure need consideration. One example is a "strategic alliance" model that is broad-based, integrative and adaptive--building on the interdisciplinary focus needed for addressing public health concerns in the 21st century. From our perspective, the central question is: what (new) types of organizational structures and, equally important, collaborative networks will enable Canada to strengthen its public health workforce so that it may better address local and global challenges to public health?

Are schools of public health needed to address public health workforce development in Canada for the 21st century?

In addition to establishing Canadian federal institutions for public health to work in cooperation with provincial and local health authorities, the infrastructure of public health for the future depends on a multi-disciplinary and well-prepared workforce. Traditionally, Canada trained its public health workforce in schools of public health (or hygiene), but in recent decades this has been carried out in departments and centres primarily within medical faculties. Recent public health crises in Canada have led to some new federal institutions and reorganization of public health activities as well as other reforms. This commentary proposes re-examination of the context of public health workforce training and especially for schools of public health as independent faculties within universities as in the United States or, as developed more recently in Europe, semi-independent schools within medical faculties. The multi-disciplinary nature of public health professionals and the complex challenges of the "New Public Health" call for a new debate on this vital issue of public health workforce development. Public health needs a new image and higher profile of training, research and service to meet provincial and national needs, based on international standards of accreditation and recognition.

Seminário de Avaliaçäo da Pós-Graduaçäo "Stricto Sensu" em Saúde Coletiva com Consultores Internacionais, Anais

Aborda a distribuiçäo geográfica dos cursos de pós-graduaçäo em Saúde Pública, concentraçäo e número de vagas oferecidas (MC)

Higher education for public health leadership.

The primary health care approach to public health stresses recognition of economic, political, and social determinants of health. In practice, briefly trained community health workers provide people with education and health care, but they require sound supervision. Such tasks of leadership require higher education. This demands more schools of public health of independent status, as well as stronger departments of community medicine within schools of medicine. Independent schools of public health throughout the world are much stronger than preventive medicine departments in medical schools, as measured by full-time faculty, scope of teaching and research, and candidates enrolled. To train properly for leadership, such independent schools in the developing world should be multiplied by 12 times to meet the needs. Leadership requires basic preparation in the full scope of public health knowledge, along with skills of effective management.

More schools of public health: a worldwide need.

This article asserts an urgent need for more schools of public health to produce an adequate supply of personnel capable of dealing with the health problems of the world population. Although there is a need for 450 schools of public health worldwide (1 for every 10 million population), there are currently fewer than 100 independent schools, with 23 concentrated in the United States alone. The benefits of independence from medical schools are stressed. The academic environment of patient-oriented clinical medicine is posited not to be conducive to the growth of the community-oriented public health discipline. The need for expansion exists in both developing and industrialized countries, although shortages are greater in less developed areas. Effective schools of public health should welcome students from a variety of backgrounds and serve as centers for the research and evaluation of national health systems.