The pull of public health studies

Public health has burgeoned over the past 100 years from the study of tropical diseases in the 19th century to national public health systems after World War One and more recently to include international public health. Education has kept up with these trends and today there are hundreds of schools around the world many flourishing in developing countries. Public health has become an attractive area for many students. Some come from the medical profession to join the growing ranks of those enrolling in courses while others are from such diverse areas as computer engineering nursing and journalism. "Public health is an excellent mix of health and social issues" says Abebual Zerihun Demilew an Ethiopian student who just graduated from the James P Grant School of Public Health in Dhaka Bangladesh which is run by the worlds largest development nongovernmental organization BRAC (formerly the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee). The James P Grant School is one of a new breed of public health institutions based in a developing country. It offers courses relevant to Bangladesh as well as international public health issues and attracts students from both developing and developed countries. (excerpt)