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Population Health Science: A Core Element of Health Science Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
Robert A Hiatt1, Natalie J Engmann, Mushtaq Ahmed
1R.A. Hiatt is professor and chair, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, and director of population sciences and associate director, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California. N.J. Engmann is a doctoral student, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California. M. Ahmed is professor and associate dean of medical education, Aga Khan University, Faculty of Health Sciences-East Africa, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Y. Amarsi is professor and dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan University, Faculty of Health Sciences-East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. W.M. Macharia is professor and chair, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Faculty of Health Sciences-East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. S.B. Macfarlane is professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, and visiting professor, Aga Khan University, Faculty of Health Sciences-East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. A.K. Ngugi is assistant professor, Aga Khan University, Faculty of Health Sciences-East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. F. Rabbani is professor and chair, Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University-Karachi, Pakistan. G. Walraven is honorary professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University-Karachi, Pakistan, and director for health, Aga Khan Development Network, Geneva, Switzerland. R.W. Armstrong is professor and dean of the medical college, Aga Khan University, Faculty of Health Sciences-East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.
Abstract:
Sub-Saharan Africa suffers an inordinate burden of disease and does not have the numbers of suitably trained health care workers to address this challenge. New concepts in health sciences education are needed to offer alternatives to current training approaches.A perspective of integrated training in population health for undergraduate medical and nursing education is advanced, rather than continuing to take separate approaches for clinical and public health education. Population health science educates students in the social and environmental origins of disease, thus complementing disease-specific training and providing opportunities for learners to take the perspective of the community as a critical part of their education.Many of the recent initiatives in health science education in sub-Saharan Africa are reviewed, and two case studies of innovative change in undergraduate medical education are presented that begin to incorporate such population health thinking. The focus is on East Africa, one of the most rapidly growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa where opportunities for change in health science education are opening. The authors conclude that a focus on population health is a timely and effective way for enhancing training of health care professionals to reduce the burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa.