Fundamentals of Public Health
Dr. Fantu Lombamo Untiso, Public Health Specialist Medical Doctor · St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College
A 3-week introduction to public health for health students and workers: history, concepts, determinants, global health, emerging threats, evidence-based practice, UHC and Ethiopian health policy, and community needs assessment. 120 quiz questions with explanations, activities and a practice exam.
About this course
Course code PHPH6012. 2 credit hours. 3 weeks. No prerequisites.
This course introduces what public health is and why it matters. Every chapter has a lesson, activities, a multiple-choice quiz with explained answers, short-answer questions with model answers and a group task. Data and policy content was updated in November 2026 from WHO, UN and Ethiopian Ministry of Health sources.
Start here
- Open the chapters from the list under this text. Each lesson page has the reading, activities, a quiz and a review.
- After the chapters, use the study tools below the list: practice exam, projects and grading, references and your notes.
- Download the PDF course book attached to this item.
What you will be able to do
- Describe health and public health and related concepts.
- Review the evolution, historical development and philosophical foundations of public health.
- Identify the unique features and core functions of public health.
- Conceptualise public policy implications of the various approaches of public health.
- Discuss determinants of health and diseases.
- Apply evidence-based practice and evidence-based public health (EBPH).
- Analyse transitions in health and their impact on health-care delivery.
- Prioritise important public health diseases.
- Describe important emerging and re-emerging public health problems.
- Discuss globalisation and dimensions of global change.
- Synthesise the health implications of globalisation, urbanisation and development.
- Identify the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and evaluate the status of the SDGs in different contexts.
- Describe principles and values of public health ethics.
- Evaluate health equity and equality in health care.
- Analyse universal health coverage in Ethiopia.
- Conduct and apply community health assessment procedures.
Plan
- Week 1: Chapters 1 to 3 (history and philosophy; basic concepts; core approaches)
- Week 2: Chapters 4 to 7 (determinants; transitions; global health; emerging and re-emerging problems)
- Week 3: Chapters 8 to 10 (evidence-based practice; UHC, SDGs and Ethiopian policy; needs assessment), then the practice exam
Assessment
- Individual project or term paper: 25%
- Group work and presentation: 25%
- Final written examination: 50%
በዚህ ኮርስ ውስጥ
- Chapter 1. Development and Philosophy of Public Health
- Chapter 2. Basic Concepts and Features of Public Health
- Chapter 3. Core Public Health Approaches
- Chapter 4. Health and Disease Determinants
- Chapter 5. Transitions in Health and Development
- Chapter 6. Global Health
- Chapter 7. Emerging and Re-emerging Public Health Problems
- Chapter 8. Evidence-Based Public Health and Healthcare Practice
- Chapter 9. Universal Health Coverage, SDGs, Ethiopian Health Policy and HSTP
- Chapter 10. Needs Assessment in Public Health and Organising Public Health Programmes (Priority Setting)
- Chapter 11. New chapter
Study tools
References
- World Health Organization. World health statistics 2026: monitoring health for the SDGs. Geneva: WHO; 2026. Open
- World Health Organization. World health statistics 2026: a visual summary. Geneva: WHO; 2026. Open
- Health Policy Watch. Zero for 52: WHO warns world set to miss every global health target by 2030. 2026. Open
- World Health Organization. Amended International Health Regulations enter into force. News release, 19 September 2025. Open
- World Health Organization. WHO Member States agree to extend negotiations on pathogen access and benefit sharing annex. News release, 1 May 2026. Open
- World Health Organization. Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly concludes: historic outcomes, consequential highlights. 28 May 2025. Open
- WHO and World Bank. Global monitoring report on universal health coverage and financial protection, 2025 (summary of key findings). Open
- World Health Organization. Disease Outbreak News: Marburg virus disease, Ethiopia. 26 January 2026. Open
- World Health Organization. Global tuberculosis report 2025. Geneva: WHO; 2025. Open
- CIDRAP. WHO cites progress against TB globally but warns about reduced funding. November 2025. Open
- World Health Organization. World malaria report 2025: partner briefing. Geneva: WHO; 2025. Open
- World Health Organization. World leaders adopt a historic global declaration on noncommunicable diseases and mental health. News release, 16 December 2025. Open
- GBD 2023 Causes of Death Collaborators. Global burden of disease study 2023. The Lancet, October 2025 (summary reported by Down To Earth). Open
- UNICEF and WHO. Global childhood immunization coverage inches forward despite conflict and hesitancy (WUENIC 2025 data). July 2026. Open
- Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Health. Health Sector Medium-Term Development and Investment Plan (HSDIP) 2016-2018 EFY (2023/24-2025/26). Addis Ababa; 2023. Open
- UNICEF Ethiopia. Health budget brief 2024/25. Addis Ababa: UNICEF; 2024. Open
- The Reporter Ethiopia. Health Ministry expands public health initiative amid funding decline (interview with the MoH HIV Prevention and Control Executive Office Lead). 14 February 2026. Open
- UNICEF Ethiopia. Humanitarian Situation Report No. 3 (Mid-Year), 30 June 2026. Open
- Towards applying the essential public health functions for building health systems resilience: a renewed list and key enablers for operationalization. Open-access article, PubMed Central (PMC9895390). Open
- World Health Organization. 21st century health challenges: can the essential public health functions make a difference? Discussion paper. Geneva: WHO; 2021. Open
- FAO. Ethiopia launches the National Action Plan for Health Security and National One Health Five-Year Strategic Plan. Open
በዚህ ንጥል ላይ ያለ ችግር ሪፖርት ያድርጉ
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