About us

People & Governance

The people and bodies guiding and supporting APHEA’s work.

Management Board

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Board of Accreditation

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Advisory Board

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Executive Director

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Mission

At the heart of APHEA lies a clear and enduring mission: to elevate the quality, integrity, and impact of public health education on a global scale. Through rigorous, peer-led accreditation, we support institutions in meeting the highest academic and professional standards — ensuring that graduates are prepared to lead, innovate, and respond to the evolving challenges of global health. Our work is rooted in collaboration, transparency, and a shared belief in the transformative power of education.

Vision

We envision a world in which every public health professional — regardless of geography — is equipped with an education that is trusted, forward-looking, and internationally recognised. A world where academic institutions are empowered to grow, where communities benefit from stronger health systems, and where public health education acts as a foundation for more resilient and equitable societies. APHEA is committed to being a catalyst in that vision, uniting expertise and fostering excellence across borders.

Scope

APHEA’s work spans the broad and evolving field of public health education. From full academic programmes and institutions to diverse forms of continuing education and training, our accreditation processes are designed to be inclusive, flexible, and globally applicable. We collaborate with institutions across all six WHO regions, adapting our approach to the unique contexts in which public health is taught, practiced, and advanced.

Built on Expertise, Trusted Worldwide

The Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA) was established in 2011 with a clear mission: to strengthen the quality, equity, and global consistency of public health education. Founded by leading European public health organisations, APHEA emerged from two decades of groundwork, including ASPHER’s PEER review system and collaborations with WHO Europe and the Open Society Institute. These early initiatives helped define a shared, international approach to improving and evaluating public health training.

APHEA is an independent and internationally oriented accreditation agency with extensive experience across all six WHO regions. Today, its governance brings together academic and practice-based excellence through the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) and the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI). This dual structure ensures that APHEA’s standards remain both scientifically rigorous and closely aligned with real-world public health system needs.

Building on more than a decade of operational experience APHEA positions accreditation as a driver of quality improvement, accountability, and workforce development. Our work is fully aligned with European and international quality assurance frameworks, supporting institutions in preparing competent, resilient, and future-ready public health professionals.

APHEA collaborates with trusted global partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), the European Public Health Association (EUPHA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the Global Federation of Educational Public Health (GFEP). These partnerships strengthen APHEA’s relevance, encourage mutual recognition, and foster the exchange of good practices across countries and regions.

From 2025 onward, under renewed leadership and strategic direction, APHEA enters a new phase of growth — expanding its reach, deepening collaboration with institutions, and advancing excellence in public health education worldwide.

APHEA is today a trusted, independent, and globally connected leader in public health accreditation — committed to advancing high-quality education and shaping the future public health workforce.