The new degree programme will start with 40 places and is the responsibility of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) and the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), in cooperation with the Institute of Public Health (ISPUP).

In a statement sent to the Lusa news agency, it is explained that the objective is "to train professionals capable of intervening in emerging threats that most affect the health of populations in Portugal and worldwide."

"This new course aims to strengthen Public Health action in national and international contexts," describe the two medical schools of the University of Porto.

Currently considered a priority area of intervention at a global level, Public Health faces challenges on a planetary scale, including climate change, epidemics and pandemics, migration, equity, and sustainability.

The target audience is young people concerned with the health of the population, ‘curious about epidemiological research and oriented towards action in the field, in close proximity to different communities’.

“[This degree programme is] essential for overcoming these challenges and achieving more effective, efficient and equitable health policies, in line with European public health objectives. The creation of this degree was a long-standing ambition of FMUP, which has finally been realised in this partnership with ICBAS," said FMUP director Altamiro da Costa Pereira, quoted in the text sent to Lusa.

ICBAS director Henrique Cyrne adds that this new degree aims to "contribute to the consistent qualification of differentiated skills in this area, in the ability to identify and respond to current public health challenges, while understanding and minimising the impact of human behaviour on society and the planet as a whole, framing the concept of “One Health” [a concept of “global health” that ICBAS has been studying and promoting for several years and which brings together three components: human health, the environment and animals]".

The two medical schools add that this new degree is the result of a long-standing partnership between FMUP and ICBAS in research and postgraduate teaching in public health, with a master's degree that has been running for over 25 years and a doctoral programme with national and international academic impact.

Both believe that the training of these young people will benefit from contributions from researchers at UP research units, namely ISPUP and RISE-Health.

"Young people who complete the course will be prepared to join organisations within and outside the health sector, at different levels of intervention, in local governments, schools, healthcare institutions, research units, social assistance services and other public, private and third sector organisations, namely non-governmental organisations," the summary states.

In addition to FMUP, ICBAS and ISPUP, the project has the collaboration of the Directorate-General for Health, the Dr Ricardo Jorge National Health Institute (INSA), the Food and Economic Safety Authority (ASAE), the National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), as well as the São João and Santo António Local Health Units in Porto, municipalities and non-governmental organisations, which will host the internships of the first students of this new course in a professional environment.