The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has merged with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to set up a Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Public Health and a Centre for Disease Control to create professionals in the public health sector.
Declaring this at a press conference on Monday, Vice-Chancellor K S Sriprakash said the institute will focus mainly on preventing diseases.
He said, “There are only 25 public health institutes that are trying to address challenges in the public health sector. The share of communicable diseases in the country is 42 per cent, with 48 per cent non-communicable diseases on the rise. Our concern is to have a curative approach”.
This institute will also offer a Master of Public Health course along with Diploma and Certificate programmes. “These courses will start from January next year,” he added.
“Our job will be to bring evidence and experience to show what can work. We will bring evidence from similar countries such as Brazil, China and South Africa to show how challenges were faced there. We want to share global assets,” said Rudiger Krech, Director, Ethics and Social Determinants of Health, WHO.
The Centre for Disease Control will work manly in the areas of disease surveillance, detection and response to new health threats. The WHO will be offering technical assistance to these institutes.
The inauguration of the institute has been scheduled on Tuesday by Governor and Chancellor H R Bhardwaj along with Health Minister U T Khader and others at Dhanvantari Hall, RGUHS campus, at 10.30 am. This will be followed by a symposium on dengue fever.
“The university will soon bring changes to its undergraduate curriculum to make students more sensitive towards public health” said Vice-Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences K S Sriprakash.
