Ximena Tolosa, Andrea Britton, Jesse Hoopes, Md Saiful Islam, Lisa Sharwood, Sandra Steele, Andrew Japri, Peter Black
The PHAA One Health Special Interest Group (SIG) stands with the Australasian Epidemiological Association, the Medical Journal of Australia and other institutions in opposing the proposed closure of the School of Public Health at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
Public health education is not an optional extra. It is a cornerstone of Australia’s and the global community’s capacity to respond to health threats ranging from pandemics, zoonotic diseases, and misinformation to chronic disease and widening health inequities.
Dedicated schools of public health develop the next generation of public health professionals who understand epidemiological and rapidly developing data science methods, translate complex data into actionable insights, communicate findings effectively, and shape public policy. This agenda is internationally recognised – enshrined in global initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals.
We stand for the future of public health education in Australia and believe its access should be strengthened—not restricted.
UTS’s School of Public Health has a diverse student community and staff body, which works closely with underprivileged populations. This diversity enriches teaching and research, reflecting the equity and social justice mission at the heart of public health.
Rolling public health functions into broader medical or health faculties risks undermining the independence of a field that thrives on multidisciplinary collaboration and community engagement. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of a well-trained public health workforce and highlighted that public health workforce shortages as a reason why Australia was underprepared.
Closing the school now would weaken Australia’s capacity to anticipate, prevent, detect and respond to future health threats, expected to grow more complex and pervasive. It would also undermine the capacity of other countries, whose workforce is trained through the UTS public health program.
Today, science and evidence are increasingly contested. As such, dismantling a School of Public Health in Australia is alarming. We support two urgent actions: reversing the proposed redundancies and preserving the status of public health education in any new university structure. These are not symbolic gestures. They are critical strategic decisions that affirm UTS’s commitment to equity, excellence, and public service.
Now is the time to ensure Australia has a robust pipeline of graduates equipped to deliver the full range of essential public health functions. As WHO states, there are economic, health and moral imperatives to strengthen the public health workforce. We urge all who value public health education to support the petition and stand with UTS staff, students, and the communities they serve.
We encourage PHAA members to learn more and to support the petition here.
Image: Andrew Worssam/ University of Technology Sydney archives
Andrea Britton is a PHAA board member. Andrea and Peter Black are co-convenors of the PHAA One Health SIG. Jesse Hoopes is its secretary. Ximena Tolosa, Md Saiful Islam, Lisa Sharwood, Sandra Steele, and Andrew Japri are committee members.
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