World Requires Young Public Health Carder to Lead Universal Health Coverage

At the concluding ceremony of three days 8^th South East Asia Public Health Education Institutions Network’s (SEAPHEIN) Annual conference first Indian, Dr. SD Gupta is elected as President and will be driving the SEAPHEIN’s goals in the interest of member countries. The 8^th SEAPHEIN annual conference was kicked off in collaboration with IIHMR University and WHO SEARO on 13^thFeb.

Major concern of all the member countries of SEAPHEIN was to put UHC at the centre of the overall health goal, and make progress towards the UHC target a prerequisite for the achievement of all the other target covered under SDGs health goal. Under SDG the core target is to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) – including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health care services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. The goal of UHC is relevant to all countries and offers an unprecedented opportunity to increase coherence in health related actions and initiatives.

Dr. S D Gupta, President of SEAPHEIN and Chairman of IIHMR University said, “I feel honored as elected to lead the SEAPHEIN agenda of promoting public health education and training in the academic institutions and universities. Public Health Sector requires professionally trained human resource globally to drive the agenda set by WHO, for achieving sustainable development goals. ”

SEAPHEIN members deliberated their thoughts on redefining the role of public health education institutions to transform public health education, training, research and innovation so that skilled health workforce can be prepared for promoting UHC and achievement of health goals under SDGs. They also discussed to promote multi-centric and multi country research through collaboration.

Dr. PR Sodani, Organising Secretary of SEAPHEIN and Dean Training, IIHMR University said, “SEAPHEIN is a network to bring South East Asian Countries on a single platform and to work for enhancing quality of public health teaching, training and research.”

For the 17^th Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030 agenda set by WHO, the integration of all the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental) is necessary that includes  eradication of poverty and inequality, creating inclusive economic growth and preserving the planet. The three days conference of South East Asia Public Health Education Institutions Network (SEAPHEIN) organised by IIHMR University was attended by the Public Health Professionals from South East Asia Region, about 9 countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal.

For UHC as a key goal of SDGs of WHO, SEAPHEIN will put its best to create standards and qualities of public health education and training. Some of the UHC goals like Inequalities in Coverage, Financial Protection etc. This approach is required universally especially in the case of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health. This is especially the case for developing countries. Likewise a relative inequality based on the health coverage among the poorest populations to the national average should also be managed by giving financial protection to citizens.