The Virtual Campus and the ASPPH join forces to strengthen and expand the network of teachers in public health in the Americas

Washington DC, July 8, 2024 (PAHO) - The Virtual Campus for Public Health (VCPH) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with the Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) organized the seminar Regional Framework of Teaching Competencies in Public Health (RFTCPH) Webinar 2024 - Towards a Network of Teachers. The virtual seminar, moderated by the Faculty of Nursing and Obstetrics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, aimed at consolidating and formalizing a network of teachers that has been articulated around the RFTCPH and was attended by more than 500 participants from all over the region.

In 2022, the VCPH and the ASPPH developed the RFTCPH with the purpose of having a regional tool that would serve as a guide to the training of public health teachers in the Region of the Americas. The work carried out is the result of the collaboration of more than 1,500 teachers from 23 countries in the Region, representing more than 100 institutions, at different levels responsible for training an important portion of the human resources in health in the Americas. The institutions involved convened this seminar to promote synergies for the dissemination of the RFTCPH.

The chief of the Virtual Campus Special Program, Gabriel Listovsky, inaugurated the event pointed out the work done by the participating institutions and their teaching teams and the importance of promoting articulation and synergy among all colleagues to work together on the evaluation, development and strengthening of teaching competencies. “From the Virtual Campus, we want to articulate and promote the collaborative work network among teachers, where teachers can exchange experiences and jointly strengthen their capacities and competencies for the development of public health in the region of the Americas," he said. 

ASPPH President and CEO Laura Magaña highlighted the importance of the RFTCPH, stating that "PAHO has always insisted that our professionals must be adequately grounded in competencies based on essential public health functions." In addition, she also emphasized that "it is extremely important to have teachers who really encourage the teaching-learning process, who motivate and provide all the necessary elements to make this happen."

Progress in the integration of the RFTCPH into teacher training programs was then presented, highlighting the importance of aligning education with the competencies necessary to face current challenges in public health.

The meeting concluded with a call to action to continue strengthening the network of public health teachers in the Region of the Americas, demonstrating the commitment of the institutions to improve education and professional practice in public health through effective regional collaboration.

Access more information and the full recording of the webinar here.