Public health entrepreneurial training as a pathway to equity and meaningful public health work
1
School of Health Sciences, Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2
Director of Collaborative surveillance, workforce and health emergencies, International Association of National Public Health Institutes, Brussels, Belgium
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1106
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Health inequities are shaped not only by unequal access to services but also by unequal access to meaningful public health work. Across many regions, public health systems face ongoing population health needs alongside limited and uneven career opportunities for trained public health professionals. This hits hardest on early-career practitioners, mobile populations, and those working in fragile or resource-limited settings. Public health entrepreneurship (PHE), as the use of innovation, sustainable business models, and cross-sector partnerships to design and scale solutions that improve population health and equity, is emerging as one way to address these challenges. In resource constrained countries, this capability is particularly valuable, enabling practitioners to develop affordable, scalable and locally adaptable solutions thus making efficient use of limited resources, partnerships and financing models. PHE broadens skills set beyond technical and enables a wider professional pathway. This session explores how PHE training can become a core, equity-driven part of workforce development in public health.
METHODS:
The session begins with findings from a global review of public health entrepreneurship education, mapping current gaps in definitions, approaches, and institutional support. Drawing on insights from national associations, global public health institutes, and public health experts, a moderated panel and audience discussion will explore equity-oriented entrepreneurial pathways, focusing on how training design and inclusion can strengthen entrepreneurial capacity within the profession.
RESULTS:
Participants will actively contribute to a shared understanding of how training models can promote equitable participation and recognize diverse forms of public health practice. The conversation will also outline opportunities for collaboration across education, policy, and practice.
CONCLUSIONS:
The session will advance understanding of public health entrepreneurship as a vital equity-focused skill set.
Health inequities are shaped not only by unequal access to services but also by unequal access to meaningful public health work. Across many regions, public health systems face ongoing population health needs alongside limited and uneven career opportunities for trained public health professionals. This hits hardest on early-career practitioners, mobile populations, and those working in fragile or resource-limited settings. Public health entrepreneurship (PHE), as the use of innovation, sustainable business models, and cross-sector partnerships to design and scale solutions that improve population health and equity, is emerging as one way to address these challenges. In resource constrained countries, this capability is particularly valuable, enabling practitioners to develop affordable, scalable and locally adaptable solutions thus making efficient use of limited resources, partnerships and financing models. PHE broadens skills set beyond technical and enables a wider professional pathway. This session explores how PHE training can become a core, equity-driven part of workforce development in public health.
METHODS:
The session begins with findings from a global review of public health entrepreneurship education, mapping current gaps in definitions, approaches, and institutional support. Drawing on insights from national associations, global public health institutes, and public health experts, a moderated panel and audience discussion will explore equity-oriented entrepreneurial pathways, focusing on how training design and inclusion can strengthen entrepreneurial capacity within the profession.
RESULTS:
Participants will actively contribute to a shared understanding of how training models can promote equitable participation and recognize diverse forms of public health practice. The conversation will also outline opportunities for collaboration across education, policy, and practice.
CONCLUSIONS:
The session will advance understanding of public health entrepreneurship as a vital equity-focused skill set.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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