Position Statement: Investing in the Public Health Workforce

CAPHIA has released a new Position Statement calling for sustained investment in public health education, training and research — a critical foundation for health, equity and resilience across Australasia.

At a time of escalating global and regional health challenges, this statement makes a clear and timely case: sustained investment in public health education, research and workforce development is not optional, it is a strategic imperative for the health, equity and resilience of communities across Australasia.

Public health underpins disease prevention, health promotion, preparedness and response, and action on the complex social, environmental and commercial determinants of health. Universities play a foundational role in this system — educating the public health workforce, generating the evidence that informs policy and practice, and acting as civic institutions that strengthen community wellbeing. Yet across the region, public health education and research capacity is increasingly threatened by disinvestment, restructuring and the erosion of disciplinary identity.

CAPHIA’s position statement outlines the very real risks of this trajectory: workforce shortages, diminished research capacity, weakened preparedness for future crises, and misalignment with stated government priorities on prevention, equity and population health. It also situates these concerns within a broader global context, reflecting international consensus on the urgent need to strengthen public health systems and workforce capacity.

The statement sets out clear calls to action. CAPHIA urges:

• University leaders to safeguard and invest in public health as a distinct and essential discipline, protecting programs, retaining expertise, and ensuring sustainable resourcing.
• Governments to recognise public health education and research as critical national infrastructure and to commit to secure, long-term funding for workforce development.
• Communities and partners to value and advocate for a skilled public health workforce as central to health, equity and resilience.

CAPHIA sincerely thanks the Advocacy and Engagement Committee for authoring this statement, with particular recognition to Alexandra Bhatti, Dr John Oldroyd, Professor Lisa Hall and Holly Donaldson for their leadership, expertise and stewardship of this work.

This position statement reflects CAPHIA’s ongoing commitment to strong, evidence-informed advocacy on behalf of the academic public health sector and the communities it serves.