The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) established the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Public Health and the Centre for Disease Control (RGIPH&CDC) in July 2013 as its renewed commitment towards strengthening public health capacity & system development in the state, country and region.

The University has launched a special post graduate degree - Master of Public Health-(Honours) in the academic year 2014-15, a significant contribution to strengthening the pool of public health practitioners, teachers and researchers to take leadership positions in the state, country and region to evolve, implement and sustain public health programmes committed to the broad objectives of promoting ‘Right to Health’ and ‘Social Determinants’. These objectives are very relevant to the current challenges of ‘Health for All’ and ‘Universal Health Coverage’ in the region. Through this course the RGUHS has initiated a new focus which goes much beyond the scope of the current public health courses in the country.

• To create a pool of trained public health practitioners and researchers who can take up leadership positions in the state, country and region to implement contextually relevant public health programs and direct research.
• Practice the specialty efficiently, backed by scientific knowledge and skill base.
• Exercise empathy and a caring attitude and maintain high ethical standards in public health practice and in interactions with colleagues and the community.
• Continue to evince keen interest in continuing education irrespective of whether he/she is in a teaching institution or is practicing.
• Be a motivated ‘teacher’ – defined as one keen to share knowledge and skills with a colleague or a junior or any team member/learner.

• At the end of the MPH program in the context of the above broad objectives and in the context of the competency framework adopted for this Honors program the following will be the specific objectives:
  
  -A public health professional orientated to the values of equity, rights, gender equality, ethics, Integrity and quality in public health practice.
  -A public health professional having competency in the following areas:
  
  o Socio-Cultural and Community Health
  o Research
  o Public Health System
  o Public Health Management
  o Public Health Nutrition
  o Public Health Capacity Building
  o Leadership and Governance
  o Universal Health Policy
  o Ecological Sensitivity/Environmental Health
  o Public Health Laws, Ethics and Human Rights
  o Plural Health Systems
  o International and Global Health
  o Disaster Preparedness and Response

• A public health professional conversant with National and State health programmes related to
  o Communicable diseases
  o Non-communicable diseases
  o Woman, child and adolescent health