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Ardita Kongjonaj MPH1, Loiuse Stjernberg RN, PhD2, Theodore H Tulchinsky MD MPH3
Background:Public health workforce development has traditionally focused on training at graduate levels. However, there is also a growing awareness that undergraduate education is also required for sufficiency and quality for meeting public health new workforce need of the future. Bachelor’s level education is expanding and playing an increasing role to meet the many challenges in the health care sector in public health in the USA, in Europe and worldwide. More knowledge is needed about current and best practices among public health bachelor degree programs in public health across Europe, to provide workforce at early stages of education to prepare people for graduate work and employment in the field, and to allow technically trained health workers to advance professionally with academic degrees.
Objectives: To open the field of studies of public health education at the undergraduate level in the European Region in existing schools of public health. The results could be related to the goals of public health training in the 21st century in Europe with competencies and motivation for exploration of public health monitoring, understanding the dynamics population and individual health problem identification, initiating and planning responses and building program to address the needs for 21stcentury challenges with a deep awareness of public attitudes beliefs and practices and economic and ethical issues in public health.
Methods:Our study is a preliminary survey whose purpose is to gather information and describe the status on bachelor programmes among the schools within the Association of Schools of Public Health of the European Region (ASPHER). We conducted a study of universities in Europe among 102 schools of public health which are members of ASPHER with bachelor degree programmes in public health and related subjects, including those now in place and those being planned.
Findigs:We found that the majority of bachelor programmes have similar student criteria and curricula content. Bachelor’s level education is expanding in and playing an increasing role in the development of public health workforce in Europe.
Conclusions:This study shows growth of public health education in Europe and provides a base for follow up studies of undergraduate programme content, student competencies, absorption into the public health workforce and programme accreditation. This study will provide a basis for current members of ASPHER and help others to take further steps in the challenges of education in public health in an international perspective and contribute to a growing world literature on undergraduate education for the public health workforce.