AUTHOR=Bürkin Barbara Maria , Venticich Pete Milos , Adongo Philip Baba , De Almeida-Filho Naomar , Magaña Laura , Middleton John , Souza Luis Eugenio , Czabanowska Katarzyna 

TITLE=Revolutionizing the Public Health Workforce—A Policy Brief in Retrospect of the World Congress on Public Health Rome 2020

JOURNAL=Public Health Reviews

VOLUME=44

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/public-health-reviews/articles/10.3389/phrs.2023.1604807

DOI=10.3389/phrs.2023.1604807

ISSN=2107-6952

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically illustrates the consequences of inadequate prioritization of the Public Health Workforce (PHW). This Policy Brief introduces a <italic>Call for Action</italic> following the plenary session entitled “Revolutionising the Public Health Workforce (PHW) as Agents of Change” as part of the 2020 World Congress on Public Health.</p><p><bold>Policy Options and Recommendations:</bold> In order to revolutionize the PHW, five long-term key approaches are proposed: 1. Transforming public health competencies through transdisciplinary education and inter-professional training; 2. Revolutionizing educational systems by shifting the public health paradigm; 3. Linking public health education and work opportunities; 4. Overcoming the paradoxical shortage and overproduction of graduates and 5. Developing adaptable, multisectoral agents of change.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Public health education of the future requires a paradigm shift towards a holistic understanding of public health, characterized by transdisciplinary education, inter-professional training and a closer integration of academia, health services, and communities.</p>