Pursuing Maternal and Child Health Careers After Your Global Public Health MSc

While maternal and infant death rates have dropped significantly since 1990, an estimated 303,000 women and 5.9 million children around the world died of preventable causes in 2015. Following the successes of its first global initiative (2010-2015), the UN has launched its Every Woman and Every Child Global Health Strategy (2016-2030), reflecting an emboldened commitment among NGOs and governments to global women and children’s health.

Global Public Health graduates play a crucial role in shaping policy and health initiatives, employing their expertise in government, NGOs, and academia. For many Global Public Health students, child and maternal health work presents uniquely rewarding career opportunities.  

Are you curious about working in maternal and child health after your Global Public Health MSc?
Read on to learn more about this very worthwhile area.

Maternal and Child Health is an Expanding Field

Maternal and child health is interdisciplinary at its core, with a combined focus on both pregnancy and early childhood. Around the world, an estimated 800 pregnant women and 16,000 infants still die of preventable causes every day. Addressing these mortality rates, maternal and child health initiatives combine expertise in public policy, sexual health, pregnancy, and child well-being.

 Maternal and child health initiatives can help secure long-term family wellbeing

Broadening the scope of potential solutions, child and maternal health policy experts now consider larger family health, including that of fathers and adolescents. As the largest demographic in history reaches reproductive maturity, many initiatives highlight the importance of sexual health information for teenagers – a crucial preventative measure for mother and infant mortality.

Graduates Can Truly Go Global With their Global Public Health MSc

As a result of a variety of socioeconomic and political forces, public health standards vary around the world. According to the World Health Organization, 99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries.

A Global Public Health MSc exposes students to global health inequalities. Addressing these disparities, maternal and child health professionals seek to improve basic global health standards, especially in developing nations. Skilled care services helped safely deliver an estimated 78% of babies worldwide in 2016. Working to make these and other crucial services more accessible around the world, health professionals can make a real difference in this area all over the globe.

Maternal and Child Health Careers Abound

Since maternal and child health is a top priority around the world, Global Public Health graduates often have options to work either internationally or domestically. A recent government report showed that adverse health effects among newborns in the UK would decrease by 18% to 59% if all newborns were as healthy as the most ‘socially advantaged’. Thus, child and maternal health professionals can work to reduce health gaps that exist even under a single healthcare jurisdiction.

At international and domestic levels, child and maternal health professionals work in a variety of stimulating career environments. In government, Global Public Health graduates can help shape domestic policy or secure international commitments to worldwide child and maternal health.

 Maternal and child health work connects professionals around the world

NGOs also provide a number of opportunities, with organisations like Maternity Worldwide focusing their efforts on child and maternal health, and larger organisations like UNICEF including them within their broader mandate.  The academic community also plays a role, engaging in important public health research to benefit child and maternal health services on the ground.

Are you looking to launch a career in maternal and child health? Contact QMUL Online to learn more about the Global Public Health MSc!