From the Dean
The twentieth century witnessed the greatest gains in quality and duration
of human life. Most of the gains achieved prior to antibiotics and
vaccines are truly attributable to public health. In the United States,
for example, life expectancy has been extended from an average of forty-seven
years in 1900 to over seventy-eight years in 2007. Yet there are major disparities
in life expectancy and harsh inequalities in individuals’ ability to gain access to
prevention and care within and between countries. Some infectious diseases
have been vanquished, but others such as AIDS and SARS emerge or reemerge,
as do increasingly drug-resistant strains of malaria and tuberculosis pathogens.
Environmental and occupational hazards, violence and injuries, and health policy,
management, and financing issues are just some of the challenges within
the purview and mandate of public health. The improvement of the health of the
nation’s and the world’s populations demands disciplinary expertise and interdisciplinary
approaches to solve these problems.
The courses, departments, programs, and facilities described here in the catalog of the Harvard School of Public Health reflect the full scope of the contemporary public health enterprise. The interests and expertise of faculty at the school are similarly broad, extending across population, biological, and social and policy sciences. Our programs and projects range from the molecular biology of vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from women’s and children’s health to quality-of-care measurement; from global health and human rights to risk assessment. All of these programs are approached with a deep sense of dedication on the part of the faculty, students, and staff and with a mutual respect for different ways of contributing to our shared purpose.
Our overarching mission is to advance the public's health through learning, discovery, and communication. Our objectives are to provide the highest level of education for public health scientists, practitioners, and leaders; to foster new discoveries leading to the improvement of health of the people of this country and all nations; to strengthen health capacities and services for communities; and to inform policy debate, disseminate health information, and increase awareness of public health as a public good and a fundamental right.
We are engaged in an exciting enterprise of vital importance to every individual and to our global society. We welcome those who wish to help us meet these challenges and share the satisfying work of changing the world of health and improving the health of the world.
Barry R. Bloom
Dean