Peoples-Praxis (PP): A Mentorship Model for Public Health Skills Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)
1
Peoples-Praxis Charity, London, United Kingdom
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Gaps in the public health (PH) workforce and limited access to flexible professional development are common in many low-and middle-income countries. Despite the abundance of courses on PH, there’s no easy way to help practitioners put these into practice. Peoples-Praxis (PP) aims to address this through an accessible, fully-online model that embeds open online courses within structured mentor–mentee relationships, building on the success of Peoples-uni, which used volunteer tutors in 55 countries to support students from more than 100 countries (70% from Africa) in open online master's and CPD programmes.
METHODS:
PP, a charity in the UK, offers support to public health staff (primarily graduates) in LMICs to apply their skills to real-world PH tasks through a mentorship programme with mentors and mentees across the global divide. A custom-built platform provides access to a range of online courses that offer skills development in mentorship and reflection, as well as support pathways to build the skills relevant to their practical PH needs. Certification signifies the successful completion of a mentor-mentee partnership and the development of relevant skills. Evaluation occurs through user feedback and stakeholder interviews.
RESULTS:
Mentors and mentees are mainly based in the UK, Pakistan, Nigeria, Malawi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Australia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Another focus has been a programme to support PH practitioners in war-torn Yemen. Mentees' development needs mainly focus on practical PH leadership, implementation skills, and evidence-informed decision-making. Learners reported increased confidence in applying PH skills, and mentors appreciated the framework for goal-setting, boundaries, and accountability. Administrative resources for the programme are a primary challenge.
CONCLUSIONS:
PP offers a scalable method for developing practical PH skills in LMICs. Future developments will focus on alignment with the WHO Essential PH Functions and outputs from mentorship that demonstrate quality and are accredited for mentee and mentor development.
Gaps in the public health (PH) workforce and limited access to flexible professional development are common in many low-and middle-income countries. Despite the abundance of courses on PH, there’s no easy way to help practitioners put these into practice. Peoples-Praxis (PP) aims to address this through an accessible, fully-online model that embeds open online courses within structured mentor–mentee relationships, building on the success of Peoples-uni, which used volunteer tutors in 55 countries to support students from more than 100 countries (70% from Africa) in open online master's and CPD programmes.
METHODS:
PP, a charity in the UK, offers support to public health staff (primarily graduates) in LMICs to apply their skills to real-world PH tasks through a mentorship programme with mentors and mentees across the global divide. A custom-built platform provides access to a range of online courses that offer skills development in mentorship and reflection, as well as support pathways to build the skills relevant to their practical PH needs. Certification signifies the successful completion of a mentor-mentee partnership and the development of relevant skills. Evaluation occurs through user feedback and stakeholder interviews.
RESULTS:
Mentors and mentees are mainly based in the UK, Pakistan, Nigeria, Malawi, Sudan, Ethiopia, Australia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Another focus has been a programme to support PH practitioners in war-torn Yemen. Mentees' development needs mainly focus on practical PH leadership, implementation skills, and evidence-informed decision-making. Learners reported increased confidence in applying PH skills, and mentors appreciated the framework for goal-setting, boundaries, and accountability. Administrative resources for the programme are a primary challenge.
CONCLUSIONS:
PP offers a scalable method for developing practical PH skills in LMICs. Future developments will focus on alignment with the WHO Essential PH Functions and outputs from mentorship that demonstrate quality and are accredited for mentee and mentor development.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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