Public Health

School for Population and Public Health (SPPH)

The Health in Populations Division within the UBC School of Population and Public Health addresses health, its determinants and solutions affecting aboriginal, less advantaged or relatively more vulnerable populations in Canada and globally. Working with these populations, the theme members examine and aim to provide scientific knowledge applicable to improving or preserving the health status of populations experiencing the greatest disparities and deficiencies in health potential, e.g. those living in poverty, aboriginal populations, the undereducated and marginalized. Issues common to all these groups include the lack of supportive health policies, sub-optimal or dysfunctional health services, insufficient human and material resources, global environmental change and lack of control over decisions directly affecting their health and social well-being. Delivering services and conducting research within less advantaged and vulnerable populations requires a unique set of skills that stem from a sound understanding of the key issues and effective strategies to deal with them. The research carried out is cross-disciplinary and serves to identify priority health issues, their determinants and appropriate, applicable solutions.

The Global Health Research Program (GHRP)

The Global Health Research Program is a unit in UBC’s School for Population and Public Health. The GHRP is an interdisciplinary unit consisting of experts in occupational health, epidemiology, health economics, law, medicine, and public health. With extensive experience in their respective fields, GHRP researchers have forged a team committed to the study of health determinants with respect to income disparity and other social determinants of health, including health service and policy, focusing particularly on the role of globalization.