The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is a public private initiative that has collaboratively evolved through consultations with multiple constituencies including Indian and international academia, state and central governments, multi & bi-lateral agencies and civil society groups. PHFI is a response to redress the limited institutional capacity in India for strengthening training, research and policy development in the area of Public Health.

Structured as an independent foundation, PHFI adopts a broad, integrative approach to public health, tailoring its endeavours to Indian conditions and bearing relevance to countries facing similar challenges and concerns. The PHFI focuses on broad dimensions of public health that encompass promotive, preventive and therapeutic services, many of which are frequently lost sight of in policy planning as well as in popular understanding. The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, launched PHFI on March 28, 2006 at New Delhi. PHFI recognizes the fact that meeting the shortfall of health professionals is imperative to a sustained and holistic response to the public health concerns in the country which in turn requires health care to be addressed not only from the scientific perspective of what works, but also from the social perspective of, who needs it the most.

From the president's pen

PHFI was born at a time of great confidence in India’s soaring economic growth but also of great concern about the appallingly poor health indicators that were utterly incongruous with the image of a rapidly developing country.Apart from high rates of infant, child and maternal mortality, as well as shockingly high levels of child undernutrition and adolescent anaemia, a multitude of infectious diseases extracted a high toll of avoidable deaths and disability. Those who survived these threats faced the mounting menace of non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and mental illness. Personal health, family fortunes and national productivity- all fell prey to diseases that could have prevented or detected early for effective control. The response of a poorly configured and seriously under resourced health system, to these complex challenges was feeble and uncoordinated. Policies and programmes in other sectors, which profoundly impact on health, were not sensitive or aligned to public health goals. India’s embarrassingly low position, in the global listings of Human Development Index, was due to neglect of health and education at the population level, despite islands of excellence in tertiary medical care or higher professional education.

The setting up of the Public Health Foundation of India presents a unique opportunity to develop innovative models of public-private partnership in major social sector programmes. Such partnership can help blend the commitment of government with the operational efficiency of not-for-profit private groups.
Dr Manmohan Singh
Former Prime Minister of India

OUR VISION, MISSION AND VALUES

Vision

Our vision is to strengthen India’s public health institutional and systems capability and provide knowledge to achieve better health outcomes for all

Mission

  • Developing the public health workforce and setting standards
  • Advancing public health research and technology
  • Strengthening knowledge application and evidence-informed public health practice and policy

Values

  • Transparency

    • Uphold the trust of our multiple stakeholders and supporters
    • Honest, open and ethical in all we do, acting always with integrity
  • Impact

    • Link efforts to improving public health outcomes, knowledge to action
    • Responsive to existing and emerging public health priorities
  • Informed

    • Knowledge based, evidence driven approach in all we do
    • Drawing on diverse and multi- disciplinary expertise, open to innovative approaches
  • Excellence

    • Aim for highest standards in all aspects of our work
    • Encourage, recognise and celebrate our achievements
  • Independence

    • Independent view & voice, based on research integrity & excellence
    • Support academic and research freedom, contributing to public health goals and interests
  • Inclusiveness

    • Strive for equitable and sustainable development, working with communities
    • Collaborate and partner with other public health organisation

Awards & Honors

Among the several honours and awards received by PHFI’s faculty and scientists, some are listed below

  • Public Health Foundation of India awarded the PHD Chamber Award for Excellence in Skill Development for the Year 2015 by the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh
  • Diabetes training programmes – CCEBDM and CCGDM are recognised by prestigious International Diabetes Federation for the period 2014-2016 and 2015-2017 respectively. CCGDM is also accredited by South Asia Federation of Endocrinology Society (SAFES) from 2014 to 2016
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The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.
Thomas Edison

Our Journey

2006

Launch of Public Health Foundation

2007

Bhoomi Pujan for permanent campus of IIPH Gandhinagar

2008

Establishment of IIPH - Gandhinagar and Hyderabad

Launch of PGDPHM for National Health Mission

2009

Establishment of IIPH– Delhi

Launch of Diploma Programmes (Health Economics and Bio Statistics)

2010

Establishment of IIPH– Bhubaneshwar

2011

Distance Learning Education Programmes Launched

PHFI registered as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO), by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India

2012

PHFI accorded status of a Nodal Centre of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (WHO)

2013

Launch of Integrated MSc & PhD in Health Informatics and Clinical Research

2014

International Diabetes Federation awards Certificate of Excellence to PHFI’s primary care training programme

‘Swasthya Slate’ (the electronic tablet for point-of-care diagnostics, introduced for RMNCH+A implementation in J&K
by National Health Mission

2015

Launch of MPH programme at IIPH –Gandhinagar and Hyderabad

IIPH – Gandhinagar accorded University Status under the State Act

Establishment of Indian Institute of Public Health – Shillong

Bhoomi Pujan of Permanent campus of IIPH – Hyderabad

2016

Launch of Permanent campus of IIPH – Gandhinagar

Launch of MPH programme through affiliation between IIPH Delhi and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum