Eight actionable recommendations for empowering Canada’s Public Health Workforce for the Digital Era
#digitalpublichealth #digitalcompetencies #researchrecommendations
The future of public health isn’t just digital—it’s already here. The question is: are we training people to meet it head-on, or hoping they’ll figure it out on the job? Consider these actionable recommendations for building a digitally ready public health workforce
Why does this matter?
The digital world is moving fast—public health needs to keep up.
We’re seeing:
More complex data systems
Rising misinformation
A growing need for cross-sector collaboration
Yet most public health programs in Canada still treat digital as optional or overly technical. This is a huge, missed opportunity. To change this, we need updated competencies and training programs to prepare Canada’s public health workforce for modern practice.
How did we develop the recommendations?
The recommendations were based on findings from a literature review on digital public health competencies, an environmental scan of digital public health training approaches, and focus groups with professionals across Canada.
What do we recommend?
Call-to-Action
Educators— use these recommendations to spark conversations about curriculum redesign.
Leaders and policymakers— advocate for investments in infrastructure, flexible training, and workforce planning that prioritizes digital capacity.
Public health professionals— share this report, join the conversation, and push for the training you know you need.
All— read the full report for more details!