Departement Volksgezondheid

The Department of Public Health (DPH) aims to empower populations to live healthy lives in complex dynamic environments. Together with our partners, we generate evidence on effective and sustainable interventions, systems and policies that contribute to protecting health for all. Our focus lies on vulnerable populations.

We are organised into dedicated research groups:

• Health Systems and Health Policy Research Group
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Group
• Tropical Infectious Diseases Research Group
• EcoHealth Research Group

Together, we aim to:

• improve the understanding of the interlinked biological, social, ecological, political and health system-related determinants of the health of individuals and communities;
• develop, implement and evaluate policies, programmes and interventions that support and strengthen the health of individuals and communities;
• co-create knowledge and capacity to contextualise, prevent and detect health problems, and to develop effective responses to local and global health challenges and threats.

We aim for research that is scientifically excellent and achieving a high societal impact, including achievement of universal health coverage. We engage with communities, health practitioners, policy makers and other stakeholders to produce research that is relevant for local and global policy and practice. We focus on understanding and addressing health problems in their specific context and on methodological innovations. Furthermore, we highly value the links and mutual synergies between research, education and capacity sharing, as well as the staff mobility between ITM and partner institutions in LMICs.

The department hosts the Population Data Science Hub, that aims to unlock and share expertise in qualitative and quantitative data, with specific attention for contextual determinants of ethical access to and use of data, and for preventing inequities in decision-making. It also coordinates a research infrastructure using geospatial modelling to support Geospatial Health Research and to further develop, apply, and teach geospatial research methods.

In the field of education, our MSc in Public Health has a world-leading reputation and attracts future global health leaders. Our short courses appeal to a wide range of students, and they are adapted for delivery in local situations at the request of our partners. Furthermore, we are responsible for the organisation and the co-delivery of the postgraduate certificate programmes and contribute to the MSc in Global One Health and the MSc in Tropical Medicine.