The population and epidemiological transition confront health systems with the implementation of cutting-edge intervention strategies that respond to the needs of the environment and are operated from intersectoral and intercultural approaches which impact the social determinants of health. The specialization in public health focuses training on the well-being of population groups, allowing the health professional to analyze the situation from a global and contextualized vision.

In this sense, the Public Health Specialist of The Maria Cano University Foundation will have competencies in the evaluation of the individual and collective health situation, the formulation, management, and implementation of public health policies and public health interventions, according to local, national, and international jurisdiction from various S.G.S.S. (General Health and Social Security System  from its Spanish initials.) organizations and intersectoral actions in the family and social environment, complementing the curative efforts, with a significant and growing number of actions to promote and maintain health.

Professional profile

Graduates will be trained to contribute to the well-being of population, with a focus on equity and social determination.

Graduates will be able to:

– Analyze the health situation, formulate, implement and evaluate programs and projects related to health, from the coordination in diverse organizations of the S.G.S.S.S., especially from the territorial directions of health, I.P.S. and E.P.S.

– Integrate and direct intersectoral actions to evaluate the health situation, for the implementation of the Primary Health Care strategy and bring together the different actors, as an essential condition for achieving the objectives of sustainable development and addressing the fundamental causes of health defined by the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.

– Work at the different levels of care, institutions and sectors of the health system to operate the Public Health Management Model and Public Health Plan for Collective Interventions and participate actively in the planning and evaluation of the Primary Health Care strategy.

Competences to be developed:

The Public Health Specialization proposes the following, as regards to the competences to be developed by the student:

– Analyze the population’s health situation, from monitoring and surveillance in public health.

– Plan, execute, and evaluate public health policies and public health interventions, according to local, national, and international jurisdiction.

– Direct and manage public health programs in various S.G.S.S.S. organizations

– Advise and follow up on access to health services in Health Care Facility (E.P.S. from its Spanish initials) and Health Provider Institute (I.P.S. from its Spanish initials), operational plans for meeting the goals of the dimensions of the ten-year public health plan, and revitalizing the Public Health Management Model and Public Health Plan for Collective Interventions.

– Plan, execute, and direct intersectoral actions for the management and implementation of the primary health care strategy, which includes the analysis of the health situation, the planning process, management, and implementation of the Primary Health Care (PHC) strategy.

– Participate in the formulation and execution of research activities based on a transversal analysis of the social determinants of health that affect the psychosocial well-being of the population and the intersectoral vision of the primary health care strategy