Imperial WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training

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Imperial WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training

"Health is complete physical, mental and social well-being; not merely the absence of disease"
-- WHO Constitution Our mission is simple.

The WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training was formally designated in 2007, and since 2008 has been located here at Imperial College London. We support the work of the World Health Organisation and its founding objective, namely: the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Our innovative approach has been instrumental in ensuring better health for all in many countries around the world. The Centre’s Director is Professor Salman Rawaf, who has worked in public health at local, national and international levels for many years, including 25 years as a clinician and executive in the NHS. He is also an advisor to the WHO on primary care, public health, health systems and medical education.

09/01/2026

World Aids Day 2025

Following the display of the entire UK AIDS Memorial Quilt at the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall earlier this year, Imperial College London’s School of Public Health hosted several of the panels to mark World AIDS Day 2025. The exhibition, accompanied by a public talk by AIDS Quilt UK Volunteer Paul Meadows, highlighted individual stories and reinforced the continuing relevance of HIV awareness and efforts to reduce stigma. ...

01/01/2026

Last Day of WHOCC Wrapped; Welcoming the New Year.

In 2025, our Postgraduate Fellowship and Internship Programmes continued to support early career professionals in developing their expertise across key public health areas, including epidemiology, health systems, environmental health, and pandemic preparedness. Through hands-on experience, structured mentorship, and collaboration, our fellows and interns contributed meaningfully to the work of the WHO Collaborating Centre while advancing their own professional growth and career development.

We look forward to reflecting on the Year 2026 and all the achievements we will make!

Post by: Shazbah Ahmed, Kendall McBride

31/12/2025

Day 4 of WHOCC Wrapped 🎁

Health Awareness Days:
Throughout the year, we campaigned for various health awareness days, weeks and months. These were significant for education as well as tackling stigmas and misinformation around public health challenges.

A few examples of our involvement in 2025 include:

In November, we put the spotlight on cancer awareness through the ‘Movember’ campaign. Partnering with Students for Global Health to produce 4 campaigns on stomach, prostate, lung and pancreatic cancers.
Each campaign highlighted the epidemiology, mortality and future progression of disease outcomes.

There were also interviews with experts:
• Lung Cancer- Dr. Marco Pantarotto
• Stomach cancer – Dr. Vasco Fonseca
• Pancreatic cancer - Prof Zacharoula Sidiropoulou
• Prostate Cancer – Dr Sunil Kumar FCAI FRSA FBSLM MAcadMEd Dip IBLM/BSLM

- World Breastfeeding Week in August
This campaign hosted webinars and panel discussions that centred the voices of mothers and leading experts to address the myths and misconceptions about breastfeeding.

A few of the panellists were:
• Dr. Robert Boyle, (Clinical researcher and consultant paediatric allergist),
• Dr. Anika Misra (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) and
• Ms Yvonne Insh (Lactation Consultant)
In The Hot Seat

In The series was a new addition this year where we received insights from expert collaborators. This was a chance to address topical public and global health headlines to break down misconceptions and provide reliable information.

You can access the full videos on our YouTube or Instagram Pages

Series in Collaboration with the SFGH:
The careers in public health series were another new initiative in 2025 that provided a comprehensive guide into the careers of various public health professionals.

Each conversation brought unique stories on how they got into their chosen roles, challenges faced and how they overcame them along the way.

Post by Alexandra Odametey

30/12/2025

Day 3 of WHOCC Wrapped 🎁

Ranging from interactive workshops with medical professionals to summer programmes for visiting students, the Centre continued to prioritise education and training in 2025. Here are a few of the highlights:

Professor Salman Rawaf had the opportunity to speak at several international conferences and seminars. He presented on topics such as “Patient mistrust of the healthcare system and physicians: Can primary care change this?” and “Health Ageing Starts at Birth: The Role of Primary Care.”

Back in London, we hosted another cohort of undergraduate students as part of our Public Health Summer Programme. And we delivered our annual Advanced and Health Management training ( applications open soon!! 🚨)

We also continued with our Lady Amalia Flemming Lecture series and had the honour of welcoming Melissa Holloway, CEO of SmartStart Health, and Dr. Mariaam Sbaiti, Senior Teaching Fellow in Global Health. Stay tuned for the next sessions in 2026!

A primary goal for the year was also to find ways to ensure that education is designed for application to clinical practice. Therefore, we launched a new short course, targeting healthcare professionals interested in preventative care, and ran leadership and innovation training in both the UK and . Conversations focused on effective change management, communication, and technology integration.

Find out more about our educational work on our website and be sure to follow along for updates about new offerings in 2026!

Post by Kendall McBride

29/12/2025

Day 2 of the 2025 WHOCC Wrapped

📍 Geneva, Switzerland
In June 2025, 25 MPH students visited the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva. This educational trip offered a unique opportunity to translate classroom learning into real world practice. Students engaged directly with WHO’s work, participated in enriching sessions, and visited key global institutions including the and Geneva Environment Network at Environment House, deepening their understanding of how global health policies are developed and implemented.

📍Lyon, France
Earlier that month, 25 MPH students travelled to the WHO Academy in . Designed to complement the Geneva experience, the visit immersed students in innovative, competency-based learning through high fidelity clinical simulation labs, interactive digital tools, and hands-on approaches to designing and evaluating health education programmes.

Students also explored global workforce development at the WHO, engaged in emergency response simulations, and visited the International Agency for Research on Cancer ( ) and Université de Lyon, broadening their understanding of research, education, and health systems across international contexts.

Post by:

28/12/2025

Welcome back to our annual WHOCC Wrapped. 🎀

This series highlights key milestones and achievements from the past year at our Centre, and this year, we have an exciting 5 days of content! We are pleased to begin Day 1 with our output, which has been particularly strong.

Over the past year, our Centre has published 20+ peer-reviewed research publications advancing evidence across priority areas in public health. These contributions reflect the depth of expertise, collaboration, and commitment of our researchers, fellows, and collaborators.

➡️ Swipe to explore our publications
📲 Scan the QR code or follow this link to access the full list and learn more about our work: https://lnkd.in/e5fyvZ6S

We look forward to sharing more highlights over the next 4 days! 😃

Post by and Celine Tabche

15/10/2025

🌿 Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine: What You Need to Know 🌿

We are delighted to announce the upcoming online short course Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine: What You Need to Know, designed for healthcare professionals who wish to integrate lifestyle medicine principles into everyday clinical practice.
📅 Dates:
- Sunday 17 November 2025
- Monday 24 November 2025
- Friday 28 November 2025
🕘 Time: 09:00–16:00 (UK time)
💻 Mode: Online (Microsoft Teams)
🎓 Level: Introductory

This 3-day interactive course (18 contact hours ≈ 30 CPD hours / 3 UK CPD credits / 1.5 ECTS) will be facilitated by: Sunil Kumar, Richard Pinder, Salman Rawaf, Christopher Harvey, Austen El-Osta, and Celine Tabche.

👩‍⚕️ Target Audience:
Healthcare professionals working in clinical settings, including physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals, who wish to apply evidence-based lifestyle interventions in prevention and care.
Students from these disciplines are also welcome.

💷 Registration Fee: £1000 per participant (Eventbrite fee not included)
Places are limited to 20 and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis from the registration list. 🚨

The deadline for registration is the 22nd of October.

🔗 Register here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=B3WJK4zudUWDC0-CZ8PTBzfhwD7Bk1lBhKNuUiUw77dUOFdJSExDSURRVktVWlBBNUYzS1BQMzhMWi4u

Join us to explore how lifestyle medicine can transform clinical practice and promote better health outcomes across communities. More information will be sent out about the course to those who have registered.

Please do not be discouraged if you could not attend or register for this course; we will be announcing more in the future.

Celine Tabche, FHEA, MSc, ANtr Salman Rawaf Christopher-James Harvey Richard Pinder austen el-osta Dr Sunil Kumar FCAI FRSA FBSLM MAcadMEd Dip IBLM/BSLM Ela Augustyniak

26/09/2025

🌟 Our next episode of the “Careers in Public Health” Series, in collaboration with Imperial Students for Global Health (Students for Global Health Imperial) is here! 🌟

In this session, Dr S***a Myojin shares their years of experience as a Technical Officer at WHO HQ AMR, Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR | MD, PhD, MSc | Paediatrician | Pediatric Infectious Disease Consultant | Infection Control Doctor (World Health Organization (WHO))!

S***a, thank you for sharing these pearls of wisdom with us! 🤩

📍To watch the full interview on YouTube, please click the link in our bio (‘Resources’ >> Click on YouTube icon)!

Interviewed and edited by Dr Ishani Sharma (Ishani Sharma).

17/09/2025

World Patient Safety Day 2025: Patient Safety from the Start 🤍

Safe care should never depend on age – but for children, it matters even more. Their growing bodies, changing health needs and dependence on adults make them especially vulnerable to harm if care isn’t specifically adapted to them. 🧑‍🍼

This year’s World Patient Safety Day focuses on ensuring safe care for every newborn and child,
particularly those from birth to nine years old, to protect them from preventable harm and encourage the best possible health throughout childhood and beyond.

For those of us in health care, here’s how we can make a difference:
• Tailor care to the child: adjust for age, weight and development. Verify a child’s identity
before any intervention and check for allergies.
• Prevent harm: watch for the main causes of harm such as medication errors, health
care-associated infections and diagnostic errors.
• Act early: spot signs of deterioration. Respond promptly.
• Partner with parents and children: communicate clearly. Listen actively. Encourage
questions and involve them in the decision-making.
• Coordinate and learn: share information clearly across teams. Report incidents to
improve care and contribute towards improvement efforts.

Every shared decision we make today shapes a child’s future tomorrow. Let’s work together with
the parents, caregivers and health practitioners in our communities to make safe, child-centred
care a reality everywhere.

04/09/2025

“I’m pleased to share how the Clinical Public Health Fellowship Programme significantly shaped my professional growth and enhanced my contributions upon returning to Oman. During the fellowship, I was involved in both clinical rotations and academic work. My clinical exposure to the NHS system offered valuable insights into how primary care is delivered and how community care is efficiently structured. I gained a deeper understanding of the annual appraisal process for general practitioners and how it drives quality improvement in primary services....

08/08/2025

We are thrilled to congratulate Dr. Fakhria Alrashdi and Dr Nasrin Al Zadjali on successfully completing the WHOCC Postgraduate Fellowship Programme at Imperial College London 🎓

Over the past two years, both Dr Fakhria and Dr Nasrin immersed themselves in a unique blend of academic and hands‑on learning - balancing placements in NHS GP surgeries, hospitals, and primary care networks, with rigorous academic training

👩‍🏫 Their achievement is a testament to their dedication to advancing primary care, health systems leadership, and evidence-informed public health. As they graduate, we look forward to seeing the impact they will make - both academically and professionally - in shaping healthier, equitable futures in their home country of Oman and the wider Eastern Mediterranean Region 👩‍⚕️

Please join us in congratulating Dr Fakhria and Dr Nasrin on this momentous milestone. Their journey reflects the core mission of the WHOCC - empowering leaders to translate public health knowledge into real-world solutions

💪 Click on this link to find out more about how you could join our Fellowship programme at Imperial in London 🖱️ https://lnkd.in/ezHCwQ3y

05/08/2025

The Summer Imperial Medicine Department of Primary Care and Public Health Newspaper is now available online: PCPH eMagazine Summer 2025 We highly recommend reading the entire collection of incredible pieces from our colleagues and collaborators. Some essential pieces from our Centre's team can be found below: - Page 3: WHOCC Blood Drive for the NHS England; led by Helene Davis…...

Address

Imperial College, White City Campus, School Of Public Health Building
London
W120BZ

Website

http://www.imperialwhocc.org/

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