Know the Importance of Public Health Before Taking It as a Career!

The importance of public health degrees has never been more prominent in the public’s minds than in recent times with the COVID-19 pandemic. We can learn the importance of public health during the epidemic, where first responders, policymakers, and social service medical personnel spring into action to help those who need help.

The field of public health is ripe with opportunities for deserving candidates all across the African continent. Be it a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree, there are varying levels of positions in both the public and private sectors.

While some don’t know the career progression one can have with a bachelor’s degree, many candidates are also easily overwhelmed by all the opportunities, leading many to a popular question: Is public health a good career?

What Is Public Health?

First, to understand public health’s prominence, it’s essential to understand what public health relates to. According to the WHO, public health is defined as the art and science of preventing disease, promoting health, and prolonging life through coordinated efforts.

The importance of public health cannot be understated as it serves as a social safety net for society’s well-being. It is the first line of defense against disease, health issues, and better health awareness practices. As you can see, public health covers a wide range of responsibilities related to the health of the public ranging from awareness to disaster management.

The importance of public health should be paramount to every nation as any nation’s health and well-being is the backbone of success and development. The importance of public health in a society determines how effectively it manages the ongoing and forthcoming issues of said society.

The underlying goal of public health professions has always been two-fold:

• The first is to detect and prevent chronic illnesses (like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc.) and more communicable diseases (like hepatitis B, AIDS, tuberculosis, and others).
• And the second fold is to promote general health and well-being practices and awareness.

Public health professionals achieve these goals by taking advantage of their research and data analytical skills, developing understanding, education programs, health policies, and facilitating proactive medical exercises. But the question remains, is public health a good career?

Is Public Health a Good Career?

In short, yes, it is a good career. For those who need more convincing, let us explain why. The healthcare sector is considered one of the fastest-growing employment sectors in Africa and around the world. While public health professions contribute to only a small percentage of the industry, mainly on education, research, and social care, the share is expected to grow larger in the near future.

Candidates interested in a bachelor’s degree in public health are in for a wide range of opportunities. This positive career outlook is mainly the result of rising public demand in health care, workplace safety campaigns, initiatives, and increased public consciousness of wellness and health issues at the local and national levels.

With the WHO’s estimated global health workforce shortage of 14.5 million required for the Universal Health Coverage, the African Region has the most critical health workforce shortage, expected to reach 6.1 million in 2030.

Attention over infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, and mental health has generated a strong demand for public health workers in Africa. Every prevention campaign, a policy proposal, and a health study relies on various skill sets and areas of expertise to influence, from research and investigation to public content creation and outreach.

The extensive scope of the public health domain and the associated advanced degree studies can support a range of skills, interests, and occupational goals, which may interest job seekers and bachelor’s degree graduates from almost every professional sector. Public health specialists can find a meaningful calling in several different settings, including nonprofit organizations, government agencies, community-based agencies, universities, and medical facilities.

Public health graduates can find valuable careers in several sectors and organizations, including nonprofits, public agencies, universities, community-based agencies, and pharmaceutical facilities, to name a few.

The career opportunities average annual salary and career growth one can avail of with a bachelor in public health degree are as follows:

Data compiled from PayScale, SalaryExplorer, PublicServiceDegree.com, and Indeed

Please note that this data is tentative and may vary depending upon the country, hiring organization, and the candidate’s profile.

Why Should You Consider a Career in Public Health?

The field’s broad scope can provide significant occupational mobility. Thus, pursuing a career in public health comes with various benefits for aspiring students and established professionals alike. Past the wide band of career possibilities, the public health division can enable enthusiastic individuals to make a difference in the community, both abroad and domestically.

A public health career path is excellent for candidates who want to tackle emerging and existing health problems in their area, solve complicated global issues, and be instrumental in creating and aiding sustainable healthcare solutions.

While bachelor-level public health courses appeal to school-going students who have a strong desire to help others, it is also a worthwhile endeavor for professionals inspired to make a career move. This move is most favorable as the core skills are conducive to overlay with public health fields such as education, research, policymaking, nonprofit, and government agencies.

What Does It Take to Enlist in a Public Health Career?

One of the best ways to ensure a successful career in public health is to have a recognized degree from an established institution. In association with the University of Central Nicaragua(UCN), Taksha Smartlabz (TSL) offers a two-year online bachelor of public health course. This course is for working people who can pursue their degree without leaving their job.

This course is exclusively designed to provide students and professionals with the knowledge, expertise, and technical skills they need to pursue a range of career paths in the public health space.

TSL-UCN has an excellent and proven academic background. Our patented block-based learning management platform known as BRICS is perfect in providing bite-sized learning to help professionals and students learn at the right phase. Our alumni are placed in major public and private organizations worldwide, which shows our program’s quality education and training.

Our alumni can innovate and thrive in any professionally taxing situation across the globe. We concentrate on building the most outstanding pioneers, employees, and leaders through quality education. TSL-UCN plays an essential role in founding high-quality literacy in Africa for the betterment of the continent.

Hope you have got a good idea about the field of public health, its purpose, demand, and reach. Kick-start your career in the ever-evolving public health sector with a bachelor of public health degree from TSL-UCN.