Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118926

K. Mohandas, Prof, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, 695011, India, 91-471-244-3085, director@sctimst.ker.nic.in

The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology promotes research, training and consultancy Public Health. As a part of this, a Master's programme in Public Health (MPH) was begun in January 1997, and so far, eight batches have graduated. It was started when MPH was not a required qualification for any job position in India. Despite this, the course has become a highly popular, and all the graduates have been able to find gainful and meaningful employment. Some lessons learnt:

1. Lack of Trained Personnel in Public Health Management was a lacuna in this country; but the importance of such training was fully recognized only after the MPH graduates and their expertise became available.

2. There is a severe lack of resource persons for Public Health Training but this can be overcome by sharing resources among the schools of public health.

3. It is important that a network of schools of public health in the developing countries may be formed for standardization of curriculum, teaching methodology, admission and assessment of students, and for sharing resources. Use of satellite based distance education techniques lend themselves admirably to such an endeavor.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

• Describe barriers to successful implementation of graduate public health education in a developing setting.
• Recognize the lack of human capital for educational endeavors in the particular setting of public health in India.
• Assess new methods of education, such as satellite-based distance-education, as a means to innovatively overcome barriers.

Keywords: International Public Health, India

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.