About NPHIs
What is an NPHI?
To do the job of public health – i.e., recognize, measure, and tackle health challenges through population-based interventions – every country must carry out a recognized set of public health functions that are linked in some way. Key among these functions are:
• Population health assessment (assessing the health status of the population)
• Health protection (surveillance and response)
• Research (evidence to inform policies and programs)
A national public health institute – or NPHI – is a science-based organization or network of organizations that provide national leadership and expertise for a country’s efforts to protect and improve health. In most cases, NPHIs are part of the government (usually under the Ministry of Health) or closely attached to it. They are usually linked to other government agencies that also have public health responsibilities.
Some NPHIs, such as those in Brazil and Finland, have existed for decades. Others, such as the Public Health Agency of Canada, were created in response to recent public health challenges that highlighted limitations in capacity, leadership, and coordination. Some countries, such as Malawi and Guinea Bissau, are actively working to create NPHIs in the next few years.
Despite their differences in history, scope, and resources, NPHIs all provide basic public health functions that improve their countries’ efforts to address health challenges both within and beyond their borders. By consolidating these functions in NPHIs, countries achieve:
► Better leadership focus
► More efficient use of funds
► Improved delivery of public health services
► Increased capacity to respond decisively to public health threats and opportunities
IANPHI brings together NPHIs for knowledge sharing, collective action toward regional and global public health infrastructure and solidarity.
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