Overview

In the wake of recent man-made and natural disasters, the US places a high priority on building the nation's public health workforce.  Since 2002, Federal funding has increased for public health preparedness, including scholarship and loan repayment programs, workforce development grants, and funding for bioterrorism preparedness.  What does this mean for you?  It means that with a degree in public health, you’ll be in high demand – and on a career path filled with advancement opportunities.

International/global health is an area of public health that addresses the health of people living in low- and middle-income countries (sometimes known as developing countries). 

Health concerns in these countries include not only infectious and tropical diseases (such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases and malaria), but also chronic and non-infectious diseases, as well as age-related illnesses and conditions. Global health also addresses mental illness and the health consequences of trauma, violence, war, and displacement. 

One area that global health professionals place a high priority on is maternal and child health.  This is because so much of the avoidable morbidity/mortality in the developing world is attributable to a lack of access to good prenatal and obstetric care, and/or to preventable or treatable childhood illnesses, such as diarrhea and respiratory infection.

Another key focus in global health is the organization, financing and management of health service systems. Global health experts work to help developing countries to establish and implement an effective and efficient health care infrastructure.

For an interesting consideration of the issues surrounding global health, see the in-depth feature that was produced by PBS in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University and others: "Rx for Survival."

You can download, save and print a PDF of this career profile:

Global Health 14 May 2008 [pdf, 177 KB]

Working Conditions

Students with an MPH in global health may find employment opportunities in a wide variety of settings, including:

• In-country field consultants
• Disaster relief organizations
• Immigrant/refugee health organizations
• Research and academic institutions
• International agencies
• Other non-governmental agencies (NGOs)
• Lending agencies that do work in developing countries
• Multi-lateral agencies (such as WHO)
• Governmental agencies (USAID; in-country Ministry of Health, etc.)