ssBioMed CentPolicy Open AcceCommentary The future of public health: the importance of workforce

Health workforce has become a major concern and a significant health policy issue around the world in recent years. With recent international and national initiatives and models being developed and implemented in Australia and other countries, it is timely to understand the need and the rationale for a better trained and educated public health workforce for the future. Much more attention should also be given to evaluation and research in this field. Through this thematic series on Workforce and Public Health, we have drawn on the diverse nature of public health, workforce implications, education and training and national and international case examples of ongoing improvements and issues in this sector. Why a special call for articles on public health workforce? Health workforce has become a major concern and a health policy issue around the world in recent years and it was the focus for the World Health Report in 2006 [1]. Globally, increased concerns about the 'brain drain ' o