The Johns ѻý Department of Epidemiology’s Online Professional Training in Epidemiology for Health Managers is more than a course—it’s transformative for public health professionals across Latin America and Spain. This innovative 9-month, non-credit professional program is designed to strengthen the capacity of mid- and senior-level epidemiologists in managing key public health functions. Through a fully online, Spanish-language format, participants engage in coursework that addresses real-world public health problems, equipping them to lead with confidence and clarity in complex health environments.
In April 2001, the Bloomberg School signed an institutional agreement with the Director of PAHO/WHO, through its Special Program for Health Analysis, to develop an internet-based professional training program in epidemiology for public health managers. The launching of this program was in response to the recommendations of the First Regional Meeting of National Directors of Epidemiology and corresponding PAHO/WHO focal points in the Americas in the Dominican Republic in 2000. The first cohort of the Online Professional Training in Epidemiology for Health Managers was March—November 2002.
Carlos Castillo-Salgado, MD, DrPH, MPH, JD, professor in the Department of Epidemiology, is the director of the program, and one of six faculty instructors. The other instructors are part of an international academic consortium that includes the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Universidad de Barcelona, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (Facultad de Medicina), Faculdade de Salud Pública de Universidad de São Paulo, and Universidad del Norte de Colombia.
“This program has a real impact in the utilization of professional epidemiology in the public health programs in the Americas, including the Caribbean,” says Castillo-Salgado. “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual network of 150 graduates from 19 countries review daily the health situation of Latin America and provide technical and methodological support to address the current health challenges with great effectiveness.”
Since its inception 23 years ago, more than 500 public health professionals from 19 countries, including national directors of epidemiology, senior authorities of the Pan American Health Organization, and ministers of health, have received this important professional training. The 2025 cohort has 33 participants—28 from Brazil and five from Latin America and Spain ready to learn and lead through data and evidence.
The three main characteristics of this program are: 1) its internet-based professional training; 2) it is conducted in Spanish; 3) it uses a problem-solving framework of priority health problems of the Americas as a model for advancing training of Epidemiology in public health practice. The program includes one online workshop, Problem Solving Resolution, as well as three online courses: Introduction to Online Learning, Principles of Epidemiology for Managers, and Epidemiologic Methods for Planning and Evaluation of Health Services. Participants work in collaborative teams to review, discuss, and apply the concepts and methods of the courses to real public health problems. Each group produces a comprehensive health situation analysis addressing one of five priority health issues, selected from actual country-level challenges. These are later presented to national health authorities for real-world consideration and implementation. Upon completion, participants receive a Statement of Completion of the Professional Training in Epidemiology for Health Managers and are prepared to lead and improve public health outcomes.
