Challanges and opportunities in public health career in india

An amalgamated upsurge in chronic, non-communicable and infectious or contagious diseases has significantly emphasised the requirement of a fortified healthcare system all over the world. This stresses promoting health and prevention of diseases to decrease the cost of care by improving the health of individuals, families and communities. A good healthcare system requires skilled and well-educated health professionals.

Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. This can be accomplished by promoting healthy lifestyles, detecting, preventing and countering infectious diseases. Public health is a vivacious part of any healthcare system of a country and is accountable for plummeting health risks and eventually sustaining and improving health status.

Public health professionals play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy community. A public health professional is a person educated in public health or a related discipline who is employed to improve health through a population focus. Public health is a fusion of many decussating disciplines, including but not limited to: medicine, behavioural and social sciences, statistics, management, administration, communication, environment, nutrition, epidemiology, law, public policy and ethics. A developing and emerging country like India provides the best platform for the career development in public health sector.

Public health professionals play a vital role in establishing a strong healthcare system for the advancement of society. They are very important for improving access and quality health care for the population. They create awareness and counsel patients to deal with their physical and mental issues.

Public health is a fusion of many decussating disciplines, including but not limited to: medicine, behavioural and social sciences, statistics, management, administration, communication, environment, nutrition, epidemiology, law, public policy and ethics. A developing and emerging country like India provides the best platform for the career development in public health sector.

A public health professionals can work in wide variety of areas according to their interests and skills, in service-oriented organizations as well as new practice sites and non-profit organizations. Common areas of employment include Federal, state and local health agencies (e.g. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EPA), Consulting firms, Consumer advocacy organizations, Hospitals and integrated health care systems and Private business and industry. They can work as Epidemiologists, Community Health Workers, Health Communications Specialists, Public Health Social Workers, Program Managers & Health Officials, Environmental Health Specialists, Public Health Scientists, Regulatory Compliance specialists and Public Health Nurses.

In spite of having, unparalleled opportunities, India facades tenacious and intimidating, particularly for the underprivileged population and rural areas. These include child malnutrition and low birth weights that often lead to premature death or lifelong health problems; high rates of neonatal and maternal mortality; growth in non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and tobacco and alcohol abuse, leading to cancer and other fatal diseases. As the Indian government struggles to provide health coverage broadly, the country’s healthcare system always remains an area of concern especially in rural areas. There are differences in health care systems in rural and urban areas. Furthermore, increasing lifestyle ailments like heart diseases, cancers or diabetes is also reported in recent years. This is happening because of the implementation of an unhealthy western lifestyle involving diet high in fat and sugar content. Lifestyle diseases claimed more than 52 lakh lives in the year 2008. Heart-related diseases have the highest segment. Diabetes also becomes the most alarming health issue with regard to public health in India. While there were only 2.1% diabetics in urban India in the 1970s, the number has grown to 12.1% for adults above the age of 20. Latest study by International Diabetes Federation suggests that there were 36.6 crore diabetics all over the world in 2011, out of which 6.1 crore were from India, justifying the nation to be the diabetes capital of the world.

To overcome these challenges and for the betterment of society, we need skilled, well-trained and laborious public health professionals to work arduously in the development of society, making it a better place to live.