APACPH Model of Global Health Competencies

Values

In a globalizing world where national boundaries are porous to conditions impacting health and where, in times of pandemics, disasters, economic crises, migration, and violence, health is totally co-dependent across borders, health needs to be viewed fundamentally as a human asset beyond borders.

APACPH is committed to reinforcing and redirecting public health training, recognising the classical approaches and effectiveness of identifying health problems and problem reduction, but also recognising globalization trends & the multiple levels of development that impact health improvement (a comprehensive global approach). It is expected that all institutions of public health will prepare practitioners who have a prevention orientation and are able to identify and assess the needs of diverse populations; plan, implement, and evaluate programs to address identified needs; and otherwise assure conditions that protect and promote the health of populations within any global context.

APACPH, its body of experts and academics, considers the Global Health Specialist as representative of the core competencies of the profession, embodying the basic quantitative and qualitative skills and other essential skills attributed to public health. The public health graduate essentially should be a global health specialist who needs to be a ‘super generalist’ able to integrate and problem solve rather than a ‘super specialist’ only dedicated to a discipline. The public health graduate should understand the socio-cultural and geo-political context in the Asia Pacific region and the impact on public health approaches and utilize this understanding in their own practice. The public health graduate should demonstrate integrated competencies related to global health as discussed above. These ‘global health competencies’ should be based on a foundation of core competencies and the use of the ‘approaches’ (see the three-circle model overleaf).

Competency descriptors

Inner Circle: Core competencies

Biostatistics

Use statistical reasoning and methods in assessing, analysing and communicating population health information for public health, patient care and population-based research

Epidemiology

Apply the knowledge of patterns of disease and injury in human populations in the prevention and control of health problems and in health promotion

Health Policy and management

Evaluate the impact of policy, legislation, regulation, governance and fiscal measures in delivery, quality and costs of health care for individuals and populations

Social and Behavioural sciences

Understand the impact of behavioural, social and cultural factors related to individual and population health and health disparities over the life course; and develop programmes and policies to promote and sustain healthy environments and healthy lives for individuals and populations

Environmental Health sciences

Understand the environmental factors including biological, physical and chemical factors that affect the health of a community; and promote healthy environments

Middle Circle: Approaches

Public health biology

Incorporate public health biology – the biological and molecular context of public health – into public health practice

Planning

Systematically plan for the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of strategies to promote and improve individual and community health

Systems thinking

Recognize and critically evaluate system level issues that result from dynamic interactions among human and social systems and how they affect the relationships among individuals, groups, organizations, communities, and environments

Communication and Informatics

Manage data to produce and present meaningful information to different audiences through information technologies, and strategically design these information and knowledge exchange processes to achieve the desired objectives in public health

Education and Research

Design and conduct effective epidemiological research studies and public health interventions; and reflect on own professional strengths and personal skills in public health education

Resource development and Capacity building

Effectively develop the capacity of colleagues and other health care workers in public health policy and practice and resources to promote such practice

Management

Use policy, legislation, regulation, governance and fiscal measures to promote efficient and equitable gains in delivery, quality and costs of health care for individuals and populations

 Outer circle: Global Health Competencies

Cultural adaptation

Evaluate public health issues and plan/implement health policy in a culturally safe and competent manner and establish effective cross-cultural partnerships to achieve improved public health outcomes

Health Equity

Plan/ implement public health policy and/ or programs with both diverse individuals and communities to produce or promote equitable public health outcomes

Leadership

Create and communicate a shared vision for a changing future in public health and champion solutions to organizational and community challenges

Ethical Practice

Demonstrate the core principles of just, ethical/legal public health practices in own decision making and practice

Collaborative partnerships

Establish and maintain highly effective working relationships and engage in teamwork with colleagues, within multidisciplinary teams, and with public health organizations and other stakeholders