Oral

The basic assumption regarding competencies for public health professionals is that they are a required, integral element in assuring delivery and successful completion of public health tasks. Those tasks are derived from the essential public health functions (EPHF), which reflect what is expected of a public health system. Good performance measures of these functions would, in turn, enable the definition of a well-performing health system. The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) formed a Working Group on Education (WGE) as a means of contributing to assessing and improving the competencies of the public health workforce and to foster global dialogue on this issue. As a starting point of the WGE’s work, it is assessing the adoption of public health system concepts, such as the EPHF model, at the national level in countries around the world. After completion of the assessment phase, the WGE intends to advocate for the adoption of a standard model of sufficient flexibility to be embraced and adopted/adapted by different public health systems. The purpose of this session is to share the WGE’s findings and to foster a discussion about models of public health functions and the concept of a standardized system-wide model for national public health systems.

Session Objectives: Identify the proposed model. Demonstrate the link between public health competencies and models of essential public health functions. Explain the need to assess public health education programs. Discuss public health competencies, essential public health functions and public health education.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)