Short Communication
Year: 2019 | Month: September | Volume: 9 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 215-218
Colloquium Report- Public Health in India: A Call to Action
GV Fant1, A Purohit2, KS Reddy3, JVR Rao4, DS Roy5, J Harsh6
1Public Health Epidemiologist and Visiting Professor, Public Health (Epidemiology & Biostatistics), Jodhpur School of Public Health, Rajasthan, India
2Founder, President, and CEO, Jodhpur School of Public Health, Rajasthan, India
3President, Public Health Foundation of India
4Former Health Secretary of India and Special Envoy to the Secretary General-United Nations on HIV/AIDS for the Asia Pacific region
5Former Director IIHMR and Former CEO, WISH, India
6Co-CEO and CFO, JSPH; CEO, Mobiloitte, India
Corresponding Author: GV Fant
ABSTRACT
In light of the medical workforce shortages along with a rural-urban differential in the distribution of human resources for health in India, many Indian leaders have recognized the importance of disease prevention at a population level for improving the health status of the Indian population. The Jodhpur School of Public Health, in collaboration with Poornima University, Jaipur, hosted a colloquium to consider the role of public health in India. This report summarizes the discussion topics of the colloquium. The panel members included JVR Prasada Rao; KS Reddy; DS Roy; GV Fant, and J Harsh. Three common themes were present in the discussion and question-and-answer period: 1)The key to successful public health programming in India depends on an appreciation of the policy history and the political dynamics pertaining to public health; 2) Analytic thinking and the use of technology may be key considerations for public health action in India and the region; and 3) There are emerging opportunities for graduates of public health programs, especially those graduates who are committed to developing their analytic thinking and quantitative skills for public health action. The colloquium discussed topics and ideas that have the potential to shape the learning activities of students interested in pursuing lifelong, professional careers in public health for India and the WHO South Asia region.
Key words: Public Health in India; Public Health Policy; Analytic Thinking; Role of Technology in Public Health