Redefining Public Health in times of a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as an unprecedented threat to society and has changed the world permanently in unpredictable ways. The incidents in the past months have revealed the urgent need to intensify our commitment towards investment in public healthcare services. The issue of public health has always been left unaddressed in the past which has, in turn, complicated and worsened the effects of the ongoing pandemic.

The global pandemic has brought with itself the incredible complexity of public health. The year 2020 has endorsed the pressing need for professionals in public health globally. There is an urgent need to optimize and enhance the response to improve health system performance for preventing or responding to any such pandemics in the near future. There is an ethical imperative demand of research during pandemics.

Multiple domains need experts in public health like policy, data, funding and the resources required to tackle a pandemic. Numerous challenges are faced by the world like data collection, timely communication and reporting. Among other challenges, few are medical supply chain management, virus containment, managing populations, unethical impacts across communities, and keeping frontline workers safe. Though strenuous and complicated process, it has provided the opportunity for public health professionals to make substantial progress in the understanding of global pandemics and ultimately the prevention of future outbreaks.

Public health focuses on enhancing the global health. Its specialists are individuals who use education, latest research and public policies to ensure we all stay healthy and safe. Public Health ensures secure workplaces, healthier babies and mothers, promotes better living habits such as exercising, proper nutrition, and regular medical visits and access to healthy foods and food habits. Additionally, Public Health is also about enlightening people about preventing health risks.

In today’s times, when there is a huge demand for a health ecosystem driven by strong governance, robust operations, impact-driven research and seamless on-ground implementation that drives public health in a positive direction. In the purview of a never ending global pandemic, O. P. Jindal Global University, has launched its twelfth School, Jindal School of Public Health and Human Development (JSPH), dedicated to become a world-class public health institution and an epicentre of innovation. It aims to meet the constantly evolving and dynamic needs of public health in India, and across the world. JSPH with its interdisciplinary studies and research-driven approach targets to create leaders who can design a sustainable and adaptable public health ecosystem for India as well as the world.

The programme is designed for individuals who are concerned about the public health system and aspire to make efforts towards human development by designing and implementing policies, allocating relevant human and material resources, and expanding opportunities for all to lead healthy and meaningful lives.

The courses, research and practical experience of the programme will help in understanding how you fit into society, through your family, your locality, your nation, and globally. You will benefit from the challenge of applying theory and practice to increasing the resilience of the individual and society to pandemics and other major challenges to our species and the planet. The programme provides a grounding for the application of ethics and human rights to the theoretical and practical approaches to public health.

The school is open for Admissions 2022, Apply here.

Author: Vanita Yadav Maan, O.P. Jindal Global University

Related Post