Strengthening the core functions of Public Health

The World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have committed to an unprecedented global effort to work towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The challenge is to strengthen the health sector through better policies and institutions, service delivery, strengthening the core functions of public health and sustainable financing.

To that end, has designed the course, Strengthening the Essential Public Health Functions.

The course, to be conducted in English, will be held between January and May 2009. It is structured around the 11 core functions identified by PAHO and will be grouped into an introductory module and 3 areas covering fundamentals and Organization, Strategy and Policy and Access and Quality.

The course aims to develop leadership and competencies in the performance and evaluation of essential public health functions (EPHF). Thanks to a combination of technical knowledge and practical examples, developed by the designers of the course, participants will be able to apply the conceptual framework to support essential public health functions, to describe and analyze each of the EPHF in detail, the methodology and diagnostic tools to assess and monitor the performance of EPHF, designing action plans and strategies for strengthening public health in the context of the country, or to identify health problems that require multi-sectoral strategies.

For more information visit the website: http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/healthandaids/elearning or at the e-mail: jhindriks@worldbank.org