Marking its 25th anniversary, the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health will be renamed the Melbourne School of Public Health this year.
Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha, who leads the School, said the milestone presents a unique opportunity to reaffirm the School's identity as a leading public health institution.
"At a time when climate change, geopolitical risk, and societal inequities are reshaping the health landscape, we are also seeing reduced trust in science and an increase in the proliferation of mis and dis-information about health," Professor Pasricha said.
"The need for strong public health systems has never been greater, and the School is ready to respond to these complex challenges, by equipping the next generation of health leaders and researchers to drive evidence-based interventions to protect populations and safeguard health."
The Melbourne School of Public Health, within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, will now have four departments: Health and Society; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Health Systems, Policy and Economics; and Global Health; as well as Onemda – the School's Indigenous-led teaching and research hub.
In the past 25 years the School has been at the forefront of public health, from work to eliminate cervical cancer, supporting efforts to Close the Gap in Indigenous health outcomes by eliminating trachoma in Australia and delivering a school program on teen mental health first aid to more than 100,000 students worldwide.
"These are just some of the incredible stories, milestones and achievements from the School and our collaborators that highlight our impact," Professor Pasricha said.
"The goal now is to continue building our core strengths across research, teaching and learning."
Education is core to the School's mission and its alumni are making a difference in a range of disciplines, working in government departments, overseas health agencies, and even leading the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
"Our students come from all over the world to study our flagship Master of Public Health, which provides a rigorous foundation in theory as well as practical insights taught by world-leading academics," Professor Pasricha said.
"The Melbourne School of Public Health marks an important new chapter because it shows we stand behind what we do, leaning in to the mission of improving the health of the public, both in Australia and globally."
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