US withdrawal from WHO and USAID cuts disrupt global healthcare aid, minimally affecting India. Meanwhile, India’s growing MPH education suffers from quality issues, job mismatches, and regional imbalances. Strengthening government roles with standardized curricula, regulatory oversight, and integrated training is crucial to enhance public health services and create sustainable employment.
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The United States' decision to withdraw from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and reduce the finances of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) resulted in global shock.
The decision of the USA has disrupted essential health-care services in many low- and middle-income countries. However, India has been largely unaffected, as international aid accounts for just 1% of its total health expenditure.
The demise of funding risks shrinking an already deprived public health development sector, which depends heavily on international support.
This step directly impacts the public health job market, reducing opportunities for thousands who are pursuing their Master of Public Health (MPH) and similar postgraduate courses.
Despite the establishment of the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health in Kolkata in 1932 and the inclusion of preventive and social medicine (later known as community medicine) in medical education, public health remained a narrow field.
Specialists in community medicine provided public health services but were limited in number and often engaged mainly in medical teaching.
Many students pursued Master of Public Health (MPH) courses abroad before the expansion of domestic programs.
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The Constitution of India, through Article 47, underlines the state's responsibility to improve public health care. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need for a dedicated and well-trained public health workforce in India. |
Gap in Supply and Demand
The number of Master of Public Health (MPH) programmes has grown from one in 2000 to more than 100 today. However, government hiring for these positions has decreased, which resulted in intense competition for entry-level positions such as research or programme assistants, with low success rates for applicants.
Quality Concerns
Educational Institutions
The more populous and large states like Assam, Bihar, and Jharkhand, and the majority of the smaller and hill states have very few or none of these schools that provide MPH programs. This results in geographical inequalities in the availability of public health education and restricts access for prospective students in these states.
Job Market Challenges
Governments should become major employers of public health professionals, creating positions at all levels of the healthcare system.
State governments should establish specialized public health management cadres to boost employment and strengthen health systems.
Create a dedicated regulatory body or specialized public health education division within existing agencies like NMC or UGC to set curriculum standards and ensure quality.
Develop standardized curricula while permitting institutional innovation to accommodate the dynamic nature of public health.
Integrate hands-on training within public health systems to better prepare graduates for real-world challenges.
Support the development of public health institutions in underserved states to improve geographical distribution.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Critically analyze the challenges in ensuring equitable access to healthcare in rural India. Suggest measures to bridge the urban-rural divide. |
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