5 Important Careers in Global Health

5 Great Global Health Jobs

  • Environmental Protection Specialist
  • Environmental Health Specialist
  • Disease Investigation and Intervention Specialist
  • Global Health Partnership Coordinator
  • Global Health Fellow

For those interested in the very noble and important cause of assuring global health and wellness for those of today and tomorrow, there are many great career options to be found in the global health sector. What exactly does this particular industry have to offer by way of jobs? Here are five excellent options.

1. Environmental Protection Specialist

A significant portion of global health involves environmental awareness and protections, as the whole-Earth environment directly affects the health of all life on the planet. As such, the environmental protection specialist is a federal government career that is tasked with overseeing the natural environment as well as human interactions and affects on it. Some of the planetary health duties found in this role include the inspection of power plants and other facilities, education efforts aimed at environmental benefit, the oversight of chemical and pesticide use in commercial businesses, and much more.

2. Environmental Health Specialist

Similar to the role of the above-mentioned EPS agent, the environmental health specialist, or EHS, is a state government position that also oversees the environment and the interactions humans have with it in that particular state. Some of the duties here include inspecting restaurants, agricultural centers, and industrial operations, investigating any emerging environmental concerns, researching migrant labor operations, researching human, plant, and animal disease trends in the state, and much more. While other departmental assignments are seen in relation to this role, typically, this position is found within the health department of state government.

3. Disease Investigation and Intervention Specialist

As to the disease-related aspect of global health and wellness, the disease investigation and intervention specialist, or DIIS for short, is one of the primary professionals tasked with this important area of concern. Specifically, this worker, often employed by government or a university, tracks, researches, and works to find ways to fight against diseases and related threats to global health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention documents a long list of threats identified as specific to global health – a world of critical material with which today’s DIIS can stay busy.

4. Global Health Partnership Coordinator

A global health partnership coordinator, or GHPC, is a professional who essentially plans and manages all of an organization’s efforts in global health matters. Many colleges and universities utilize this professional as well as non-profit and even private organizations. Regular duties in this role include the creation of symposia for partner organizations and individuals, analysis of certain global health issues, project creation and management, coordination with diverse sources and figures, and much more.

5. Global Health Fellow

Last but certainly not least in our short list of excellent global health careers today is the global health fellow. This professional travels the globe to research and analyze any number of human health-global health issues. While this position is often temporary, it is one of immense value, providing professional, paid experience in some of the most ground-breaking, on-the-ground research efforts right now. Prior residency in some area of medicine is also a typical requirement of this highly-sought role.

Related Resource: Top 10 Master’s in Environmental Health Degrees Online

As globalization expands and world populations do the same, the need for focus on matters of global health will also grow. Those interested in working in this sector will likely then enjoy a wide career field with which to freely choose work and vocational direction. These five important careers in global health are just a handful of the many available right now as well as in the future.