National Public Health Institutes (NPHI)

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) leadership and staff in the EOC for the daily review of COVID-19 data and response duties. Photo: Jeremiah Agenyi
To better organize and coordinate public health expertise and systems, we are working with countries to strengthen an interconnected base of national public health institutes, like CDC, throughout the world. The goal is a global network of accountable, efficient, proactive, and science-focused public health agencies that use data to drive decision-making and contain global health threats at their source.
Since 2011, CDC has helped develop and strengthen National Public Health Institutes (NPHI) in more than 30 countries. In 2021, CDC is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its NPHI Program.
CDC’s NPHI-specific support helps amplify other CDC and partner investments as NPHIs work to improve connections throughout the public health system. Reflecting over the past decade and looking forward to the future, we highlight the program’s growth, achievements, and value to global health security and public health.
A public health bulletin (PHB) is a government’s primary communications channel for timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information. CDC’s MMWR is an example of a PHB. With funding provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative, CDC created A National Public Health Bulletin: Considerations for its Development [PDF – 2.5MB, 36 Pages] for governments interested in producing national PHBs.
The publication is a resource for getting started, and includes the following content:
- Rationale for producing a PHB;
- Qualities that distinguish it from other government-sponsored public health documents;
- Activities and standard operating procedures to produce and distribute a PHB; and,
- Templates of work plans, position descriptions, communication strategies, and budgets.
The Public Health Bulletin Guidance publication is also available in:
- International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI)
- Africa CDC – Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
- Clemente J, Rhee S, Miller B, et al. Reading between the lines: A qualitative case study of national public health institute functions and attributes in the Joint External Evaluation. Journal of Public Health in Africa 2020: Vol. 11, No. 1. https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2020.1329.
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