Global Governance for Improved Human, Animal, and Planetary Health: The Essential Role of Schools and Programs of Public Health

Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region, Brussels, Belgium, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Washington, DC, United States, Alianza Latinoamericana de Salud Global, Santiago De, Chile, Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Association of Schools of Public Health Africa, Accra, Ghana, Council of Academic Public Health Institutions, Deakin, ACT, Australia, South East Asia Public Health Institutions Network, University of Jaipur, Jaipur, India

has agreed to set up an Intergovernmental negotiating body to move forward the process of establishing a new Global Pandemic Preparedness Treaty [9].

THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE CURRENT PANDEMIC AND IN DEVELOPING STANDARDS AND COMPETENCE FOR BETTER PUBLIC HEALTH
Global leaders' aspirations for better surveillance, greater response capacity, better global preparedness and preventive skills, better governance, and interdisciplinary collaboration must be translated into practical learning and professional development [10]. Schools and programs of public health have extensive expertise in delivering education and training as well as building capacity for the many roles that will require public health professionals in the future.
We set out some of the current actions and programs of the GNAPH member associations of schools and programs of public health around the world, which are contributing to public health training, education, workforce capacity building, and professional development in our extended paper [11]. Many of our associations' members are providing real-time, on-the-ground support for the public health pandemic response through epidemiological input, data modelling, intervention roll-out, and health promotion activities. These programs range from implementation phase to advanced stage of development and implementation. All will require continued and reliable investment by international and national funding agencies, to secure extensive roll out, to protect and improve the health of people and the planet.
An important role of academic public health institutions is to serve our local, national, and global communities-from educating journalists and the public about important public health issues to collaborating with health departments on just-in-time trainings to providing expert guidance for decision-makers in government, non-profit, and for-profit sectors. Indeed, the public health experts on whom we have all come to rely during the pandemic were educated by, and work for and with, schools and programs of public health around the world.
Major investment is required in a professional expert public health workforce. We set out some of the actions which schools and programs of public health are uniquely placed to deliver if the goal of better health is to be achieved. Delivering better health requires trust [12] between governments and public health experts, and between them and the people and communities they serve, however defined. Moreover, we believe there should be a strong expectation of action from schools and programs of public health by our governments, from international agencies, and from the public. This should form the basis of an accord, or compact, with schools and programs of public health, reflecting their commitment to serve their populations honestly and with integrity, applying the best science available.

PUBLIC HEALTH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS SHOWN BY THE PANDEMIC TO NEED MASSIVE EXPANSION
The COVID-19 pandemic has, in many cases, put public health professionals in the public leadership spotlight, and has demonstrated the need for them to develop skills beyond the traditional public health education domains (e.g., epidemiology, biostatistics, health promotion, health policy, program evaluation) to be most effective in responding to crises. The public health workforce needs to develop new competencies that allow for multidisciplinary communication and collaboration as well as staying up to date on the traditional skills through professional development activities.
For public health professionals, essential skills include:  [13,21] Decision-makers from government and across all fields also need to establish at least basic knowledge in public health issues to understand and best serve their communities in preventing and responding to public health crises, adapting health services to meet urgent needs, and ensuring inequities are not deepened.
For decision-makers:  ) and supporting national and regional capabilities for innovation and production of essential products and supplies. 6. Substantial investment in public health education and research establishments, if the capacity to protect and improve health is to be delivered. 7. Resourcing and mandating WHO Regional or continental supra-national agencies that can respond to health threats which cannot be addressed by single countries acting independently and unilaterally [8]. 8. Addressing the extreme inequities in health status and outcomes within and between countries and regions related to the social determinants of health. 9. Commitment to reviewing international and national laws related to public health to develop the body of public health law globally to better protect people and planet. 10. Commitment to preventing pandemics, not just responding to them, by addressing the major driver of introduction of novel infectious diseases-increased contact between humans and animals caused by destruction of animals' natural habitats by human activities.
In order to deliver the aspirations of global leaders for better health, for a better response to the current pandemic and better preparedness for future pandemics, the Global Network of Academic Public Health believes: 1. There must be increased understanding and recognition of the unique role of public health professionals, including recognition by governments and health systems for the profession of public health and for professional codes of conduct. 2. There must be a global willingness for public health professionals to be able to work across jurisdictional boundaries, with mutual recognition of qualifications. 3. There must be a strengthening of the public health profession, systems, data, and services in all countries. 4. There must be recognition of the multidisciplinary nature of the public health profession, systems, services, and all activities related to health improvement and protection. 5. The strengthening of public health systems and services will require research into workforce capacity, skills, and knowledge, and job and career opportunities at local, national, and global levels. The gaps in workforce capacity and skills identified must be addressed by investment in schools and programs of public health and other academic centers to grow the new public health workforce for local, national, and international deployment. 6. Necessary improvements in public health capacity require rapid investment in high volume, short course training for public health and other health professionals in preparedness, surveillance, and emergency response. There should be basic public health knowledge and awareness-raising training for others in related fields affecting the public's health including economics, finance, law, trade, and journalism; for political leaders and their advisors; and the public. 7. There must be increased understanding of public health amongst other disciplines, political decision-makers, the media, and the public. 8. There must be investment in education and training for lawyers and public health experts to develop the body of national, regional, and international public health laws and regulations. 9. There must be investment in public health leadership training to develop a cadre of new leaders at local, national, and global levels capable of conveying public health knowledge, building partnerships across agencies and with the public, and organizing the action required to protect and improve the public's health. 10. These requirements can only be met by recognizing the key role of, and investing in, schools and programs of public health as leaders in education, training, and research.
We, the leaders of the Global Network for Academic Public Health present this Declaration and related papers for consideration by our members, partners, and colleagues. We also present it for a wider audience of decision makers and funding bodies at global, regional, and national levels. We hope our member schools and programs of public health will use the declaration in their evidence to national governments, and health and education ministries, to make the case for enhanced public health education. We respectfully call on the new intergovernmental negotiating body (9) to ensure that there is