Importance of networking of public health institutes in India

Networking holds a key role in the domain of public health currently. The globe is looking for partnership and collaboration. Goal 17 comes under SDGs is about revitalizing the global partnership for achieving the 2030 Agenda. It requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society. Sustainable Development Goals can only be realized with a strong commitment to global partnership and cooperation.

The networking can be operational, strategic, and personal. Each of these will help in the functionality of an organization such as implementation, sharing knowledge, and experiences, exposure to various job opportunities, etc.

Networking in the educational field of public health is important in its development and in providing quality education. It will help to tackle the inadequacy of human resources in the field through student exchange programs, exchanging and supporting the expertise between universities and institutes. For instance, in 2006, the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) was launched to establish Indian Institutes of Public Health (IIPHs) in the countryPHFI also recently launched integrated MSc and Ph.D. programs in clinical research and health informatics in collaboration with the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR).

The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has envisioned the training of in-service health professionals in public health management; so that they would oversee a range of functions, including community-based disease surveillance, program planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Young professionals may get adequate practical training, and mentorship from this system and also enhance their networking.

Reference:

//sdgs.un.org/goals/goal17

//www.ijph.in/article.asp?issn=0019-557X;year=2013;volume=57;issue=3;spage=155;epage=160;aulast=Sharma

Professional networking is a quintessential skill and of great importance in public and global health. In searching for any career opportunity, working together on various challenges, or just finding out more about any specific topic or area, effective networking is necessary to fulfill a public health career.
Forming a positive and personal alliance with other public health professionals helps to create an ambience that always encourages association, reciprocal assistance, and regard. In a field that is based on maintaining and improving the health of the communities as a whole, it is imperative for individuals to establish professional and personal association and bonding with their peers.

Networking creates a process that encourages to develop the information and ideas exchange among individuals or groups who share a common interest. It aims for social and business targets. Nowadays, it is also used for educational purposes. Coordination between the educational institutions targets to foster the educators and all the other subjects of educational process of continuous exchange of their insights and knowledge sharing among professional experts as the basis of their mutual learning and development. In India, the public healthcare system evolved since 1947 under the influences of British colonial period. India is a developing country with overpopulation and the need for an effective and efficient public health system is large. India healthcare system has been historically dominated by providing the neglected public health. I am sure that not only public health institutes but also the institutional networking system can to lead to produce the experts in public health fields and it will help a lot. Moreover, public health is not an isolated field and multidisplinary approach is essential in public health. Networking does not mean only for communication among the individuals. It also means the communication among the organizations. Public health system across nations is a conglomeration of all organized activities that prevent disease, prolong life and promote health and efficiency of its people.

With a network, various players can work together to achieve common objectives. Networks offer an alternative to managing through hierarchies and can foster collaboration by giving diverse players the chance to see reciprocal advantages and "win-win" scenarios.

Read more:

Stephen A, Amanda K. NHS Health Development Agency. Mapping Public Health Networks. 2005. Available from:  //www.nice.org.uk/niceMedia/documents/mapping_public_health_networks.pdf .

The Lancet Commission on Education of Health Professionals made several proposals, one of which is to reform professional education by creating networks and partnerships that make use of information and communication linkages in order to enhance health. the present state and increasing scope of public health education in India, the networks of public health professionals and educational institutions already in place there, as well as the benefits, drawbacks, and potential for such networks. Although there are networks of people and organizations throughout the nation, their potential to impact change is still not being fully and effectively utilized. Immediate collaborative efforts could focus on developing competency-driven curriculum frameworks that are appropriate for addressing public health challenges of the twenty-first century, shifting the current focus of the curriculum to a multidisciplinary public health outlook, developing accreditation mechanisms for both the programs and institutions, creating job opportunities and designing career pathways for public health professionals in both the public and private sectors. There is no doubt that the networks that already exist may aid in these efforts.

Reference:

//pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24125930/

The oldest public health institution in India is the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIHPH), located in Kolkata. It offers diploma, master's, and doctoral level programme in a variety of public health fields, including: community health for nurses, dietetics, nutrition, industrial health, social and preventive medicine, public health management, and public health engineering. Indian Institutes of Public Health (IIPHs) were recently established in the nation with the help of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), which was founded in 2006. Through these organizations, PHFI is required to increase the capacity of human resources in public health. Currently, four IIPHs are in existence and provide postgraduate diploma programme in the public.

Reference

//www.ijph.in/article.asp?issn=0019-557X;year=2013;volume=57;issue=3;spage=155;epage=160;aulast=Sharma#ft10

This paper talks about the Douala Equity Checklist, which is a 20-item tool that can be used by institutions across the world to ensure equitable collaborations in global health projects. It reviews key inequalities within each phase of research, from design through implementation and analysis/ dissemination, and makes concrete and practical recommendations to improve equity. The authors also talk about the four key principles that lie at the foundation of all recommendations: seek locally derived and relevant solutions, create paired collaborations, provide funding, and assign clear roles and responsibilities to value, leverage, and share the strengths of all team members.

//journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0001418

In India, public health networking can be strengthened through greater collaboration between government agencies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations working in the health sector.

India faces a range of public health challenges that require a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, including zoonotic diseases, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance. By bringing together stakeholders from human health, animal health, and environmental health sectors, the One Health approach can help build a more resilient health system that is better equipped to address these challenges.

Yasobant, S., Bruchhausen, W., Saxena, D., & Falkenberg, T. (2021). One health collaboration for a resilient health system in India: Learnings from global initiatives. One Health, 13, 100315. //doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100315

A competent and motivated health workforce is indispensable to achieve the best health outcomes possible through given available resources and circumstances. However, apart from the shortages and unequal distribution, the workforce has fallen short of responding to the public health challenges of 21 ^st century also because of primarily the traditional training of health professionals. One of the key recommendations of the Lancet Commission on Education of Health Professionals is to improve health through reforms of professional education by establishing networks and partnerships which take advantage of information and communication linkages. The primary goal is to highlight the potential of networks and partnerships in advancing the agenda of educational reforms to revitalize public health education in India. It outlines the current status and expanding scope of public health education in India, existing networks of public health professionals and public health education institutions in the country, and opportunities, advantages, and challenges for such networks. . Although, we have networks of individuals and institutions in the country, there potential to bring about change has still not being utilized fully and effectively. 

Sources: //www.ijph.in/article.asp?issn=0019557X;year=2013;volume=57;issue=3;spage=155;epage=160;aulast=Sharma

Under the direction of the South-East Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO-SEARO), the South East Asia Public Health Education Institutions Network (SEAPHEIN) has been developed and promoted in order to advance and strengthen public health education and training in the member nations.

India Public Health Education Institutions Network (India PHEIN), the Indian Branch of SEAHPEIN, was founded in July 2010. Both private institutions and individuals can join it. Its goal is to work in collaboration with Indian member institutions to raise the integrity and relevance of public health education while addressing the nation's growing health improvement concerns. As a result, it offers a forum for institutions involved in public health education to exchange experiences and resources.

National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, has also established a Public Health Education and Research Consortium (PHERC) to connect people and organisations and to develop strategies for increased partner institution participation in national public health programmes through capacity building for education and research. It is an opportunity to participate in public health training programmes, provided by this consortium, which connects medical colleges, State Institutes of Health and Family Welfare, Health and Family Welfare Training Centers, nursing schools, and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).

Reference:

Sharma, A., & Zodpey, S. P. (2013). Transforming public health education in India through networking and collaborations: opportunities and challenges. Indian Journal of Public Health, 57(3), 155.

A competent and motivated health workforce is indispensable to achieve the best health outcomes possible through given available resources and circumstances. However, apart from the shortages and unequal distribution, the workforce has fallen short of responding to the public health challenges of 21 st century also because of primarily the traditional training of health professionals. One of the key recommendations of the Lancet Commission on Education of Health Professionals is to improve health through reforms of professional education by establishing networks and partnerships which takes advantage of information and communication linkages. The primary goal of this manuscript is to highlight the potential of networks and partnerships in advancing the agenda of educational reforms to revitalize public health education in India. It outlines the current status and expanding scope of public health education in India, existing networks of public health professionals and public health education institutions in the country, and opportunities, advantages and challenges for such networks.

References: //www.researchgate.net/publication/257813550_Transforming_public_health_education_in_India_through_networking_and_collaborations_Opportunities_and_challenges

Public Health is defined as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and improving quality of life through organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, communities, and individuals”. The necessity of “Public Health” had never been felt so vital across the globe than during these times of COVID-19 pandemic. The Indian and global experience had underscored how important are the “organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, communities, and individuals” 

//www.linkedin.com/pulse/indian-public-health-professionals-network-i-phpn

Many public health issues involve a complex mixture of actors from diverse sectors. Similarly, therefore, the public health response to such an issue necessitates the involvement of the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors; various academic disciplines, government departments, and health fields; and actors from the local, regional, and global levels. The mixture of diverse actors represents a public health network. Public health networks are utilized as an important tool to address complex public health problems and so achieve public health objectives. Public health professionals, as a dynamic and interdisciplinary scientific cadre, could play a critical role in achieving the country's national health goals. It is past time for Public Health to be recognized as a distinct academic, research, and professional discipline in this country, rather than as an afterthought to the existing bio-medical-centered system. Public health professionals who play critical roles in achieving national health goals must be recognized and deserve a distinct identity and representation in India's national and sub-national health workforce. 

To strengthen India's public health system, we must position adequately trained, multidisciplinary, and competent public health professionals at all levels. Public health education is a tool for developing these professionals. As a result, it is critical to address deficiencies in our professional public health education system through the reform agenda. The Lancet Commission Framework is an excellent starting point for this development. Networks, collaborations, and partnerships have been identified as key drivers for advancing the agenda of reforms in public health education. Immediate collaborative efforts could focus on developing competency-driven frameworks appropriate for addressing public health challenges of the 21st century, changing the curriculum's current focus to a multidisciplinary public health outlook, developing accreditation mechanisms for both the programmes and institutions, creating job opportunities, and designing career pathways for public health professionals in the public and private sectors. This could definitely be facilitated through existing networks.

References:

Frenk J, Chen L, Bhutta ZA, Cohen J, Crisp N, Evans T, et al. Health professionals for a new century: Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. Lancet 2010;376:1923-58. 

Zodpey, S., & Sharma, A. (2013). Transforming public health education in India through networking and collaborations: Opportunities and challenges. Indian Journal of Public Health, 57(3), 155. //doi.org/10.4103/0019-557x.119833

//www.linkedin.com/pulse/indian-public-health-professionals-network-i-phpn/

Suggested: 

//phrsindia.org/

Networking is a proven tool to build successful career and reach of institution in any field. But ever so more in public health, as it is a field with diverse domains touching across each aspect of population life from social, biological to environment and much more. Finding a career in public health requires networking, which can be done in person, over the phone, by letter, by email, and on online message boards. Simplest way to network for a public health professional or institution could start from talking to fellow professionals, seasoned professional of the field, friends from different aspect of public health and other domains of development, former employers, and members of the community to find out who knows about the kind of effect that needs to be created. Joining professional groups, getting in touch with alumni, visiting career fairs, and volunteer with local organisations.This systematic review of 64 studies from the past 20 years shows there is considerable evidence for professionals actively contributing to inter-professional collaboration.

In a systematic review,the evidence showed three distinct ways of networking are:

• by bridging professional, social, physical and task-related gaps,
• by negotiating overlaps in roles and tasks, 
• by creating spaces to be able to do so. 

Research shows networking as essential for the leadership role, providing access to knowledge, social support, and resources. To be a  Leader in any industry the type of network you possess influences performance and influences institutions members potential to be influential. This further shows the emulating effect of institution with networking capacity and its direct effect on its members capacity and career. Currently, in India the main source of networking for public health institution and professional is through workshop and conferences. Government recognized IPHA was established with the renaming of Medical Services as Health Services and the creation of the Ministry of Health Services, the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health was founded in 1956. This made it possible for the Indian Public Health Association to be founded as an all-Indian organisation. The IPHA objective involves networking among institutions and other such as 

• advancement of public health and allied sciences in India, protection and promotion of national health, and encouragement of fellowship and cooperation among association members.
• Organize an annual convention as well as occasional gatherings or conferences for association members and the public health profession at large.
• Share health knowledge and conduct educational campaigns with schools, colleges, cultural organizations, village organizations and others.

Reference: 

1. Strengthening public healthcare systems in India; Learning lessons in COVID-19 pandemic, //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7928139/Suneela Garg et al, 2020, 
2. Leaders' Networking Behaviours in a Time of Crisis: A Qualitative Study on the Frontline against COVID‐19, //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9874475/
3. //www.iphaonline.org/