It may be argued that the expertise and number of public health workers in so-called developing countries should exceed those working in developed countries for the simple reason that the major health problems amenable to public health interventions preponderate in developing countries. However, the situation in most developing countries is that public health workers are small in number, of low status (compared to their clinical counterparts) and not always adequately trained.
This paper will use public health training in South Africa as a case study of the challenges that developing countries have in the training of public health workers and in deploying them effectively and retaining these skills in the public sector in the first instance and in the country in the second.
While it will be tempting to stop the presentation at the level of the challenges, this paper will attempt to focus on some of the innovations that have been embarked on to improve the situation. Finally, the paper will point to new possibilities that should be considered.
Learning Objectives: 1. Challenges to training public health workers in developing countries will be explored 2. Innovative training solutions will be discussed
Keywords: Curricula, Developing Countries
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.