The H1N1 flu pandemic and Haiti earthquake highlight the life-saving role public health professionals play when a crisis hits. Whether preparing for an infectious disease outbreak or the next big earthquake, the University of California’s two public health schools have been at the forefront of efforts to promote healthy communities, prevent disease and create a safer world.
The UC Berkeley and UCLA public health schools are working on some of California’s biggest health issues: obesity, environmental health and disaster preparedness.
UC is also California’s primary educator of public health graduate students. But California and the nation face a growing shortage of public health professionals, and the state’s budget crisis has halted UC’s plans to expand enrollment to meet the growing demand.
“We are turning away some of the most talented students,” UCLA School of Public Health Dean Linda Rosenstock told UC Regents at a presentation Jan. 21.
UC’s 2007 health work force report recommended more than doubling UC’s master’s and doctoral public health students to 2,600 by 2020 through expanding existing programs and planning to establish at least one new school. Professionals are needed to work in clinics, health departments, hospitals, universities, governments, non-governmental organizations, corporations and in policymaking and research settings.
“We cannot do it alone,” said UC Berkeley School of Public Health Dean Stephen Shortell. “We’re going to have to have additional schools in addition to expanding our current schools.”
Such expansion is on hold for now, as state funding accounts for 11 percent of the public health school budget at UC Berkeley and 12 percent at UCLA. But the highly ranked schools continue to make an impact. From fighting obesity to making green chemistry breakthroughs to preparing for disasters, click here to read more about some ways UC public health is making a difference.
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