Context:
The U.S. decision to withdraw from WHO and reduce US-AID funding has disrupted global aid and health services. India, which relies on only 1% of international aid for healthcare, remains largely unaffected at a system level.
Key Highlights:
- However, the public health development sector, which depends on global funding, faces severe strain.
- The biggest impact is on the public health job market, reducing opportunities for graduates in Master of Public Health (MPH) and similar programs.
Growth of Public Health Education in India
- Public health education in India has its roots in the colonial era, but for long, it remained embedded within medical training.
- The All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (1932) and later community medicine courses were early public health training efforts.
- Growth surged after 2005 with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), leading to an increase in MPH programs from 1 (in 2000) to over 100 today.
- Despite this expansion, government hiring plateaued, while graduates continued to increase, leading to an oversupply.
Challenges Facing Public Health Graduates
- Mismatch in supply & demand
- Entry-level public health jobs attract an overwhelming number of applicants for very few positions.
- Limited hiring in government and shrinking public health roles worsen the situation.
- Growing dominance of private sector
- Private healthcare systems prefer hospital/business management professionals over public health experts.
- Research and development opportunities rely heavily on foreign funding, which is declining.
- Concerns about education quality
- Many MPH programs lack standardisation, and faculty are often undertrained.
- No single regulatory body (like NMC or UGC) oversees MPH education.
- Intense competition among institutions leads to lower admission standards.
Possible Solutions
- Creating more public health jobs
- Governments should be the largest employers, as in developed countries.
- State-level public health cadres can create structured career paths.
- Strengthening regulation & standardisation
- A dedicated regulatory body should oversee curriculum and training quality.
- Integration of public health education with practical fieldwork is essential.
- Expanding public health institutions in underserved states
- Many states (e.g., Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand) lack sufficient MPH programs.
- Strengthening local public health ecosystems will ensure sustainable health development.
