The first public health organization in Pakistan was established as the Institute of Hygiene & Preventive Medicine. Its main purpose was to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. In 1980, it was renamed the College of Community Medicine.  The name was again changed in 1995 to the Institute of Public Health.

The institute has a staff of more than 100 and is affiliated with University of Health Sciences, Lahore. The institute is in the process of transforming itself into a frontline institution, where health training and research is a top priority. The institute currently partners with UNICEF and WHO to address national public issues such as maternal health and infant mortality.