Developing schools of public health in countries of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Countries of Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States are facing a combination of difficulties in health including high rates of mortality from preventable diseases, and pressures for reform of their health care systems. The development of schools of public health is an important priority for international aid and for national government attention. This provides a challenge of integrating experience from many countries in the industrialized world and academic centers of excellence in the field of public health. Traditional departments of social hygiene within medical academies need to evolve to educate new generations of doctors to cope with challenges facing the health systems in these countries. Development of post-graduate centers of training will also be needed as independent schools of public health within single or multi-faculty universities to train health workers in a New Public Health. This paper outlines the mission of a school of public health (SPH), and the steps needed to achieve its objectives, with examples of several schools at relatively advanced and moderate levels of development. The purpose is to provide guidelines for those SPHs under development that are seeking international support and resources.