IANPHI Framework for the Creation and Development of National Public Health Institutes (2026)

The new IANPHI Framework for the Creation and Development of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI NPHI Framework) builds on the “Application of the essential public health functions: an integrated and comprehensive approach to public health”. The World Health Organization (WHO) and IANPHI co-developed and co-authored this handbook, which was published in 2024.

What are Essential Public Health Functions?

The WHO/IANPHI handbook defines 12 Essential Public Health Functions as fundamental, interdependent activities, both within and beyond the health sector, which are required to ensure the comprehensive delivery of public health.

How are Essential Public Health Functions relevant to NPHIs?

NPHIs operate within national public health systems and play a key role in safeguarding and promoting a nation’s public health. The Essential Public Health Functions (EPHFs) define the institutional scope and operations of NPHIs, in line with the NPHI's mandate, the context of its national public health system and the activities of other national entities.

Delivering the EPHFs requires the collaboration of all actors within a national public health system, recognizing that not all NPHIs cover or are involved in delivering all EPHFs.

From EPHFs to NPHI functions – IANPHI's recommendation

IANPHI recommends prioritizing 8 of the 12 EPHFs as core institutional functions when creating or developing an NPHI. Four EPHFs are recommended as desirable or optional functions to which NPHIs contribute.

The Approach of the IANPHI NPHI Framework

IANPHI agreed on the following definition for NPHI functions:

On this basis, it recommends the following core functions for NPHIs:

• Monitoring and surveillance of population health status, risk, protective and promotive factors, threats to health, and health system performance and service utilization (EPHF 1 Public health surveillance and monitoring)
• Managing public health emergencies for national and international health security; management of health risks and health hazards. (EPHF 2 Public health emergency management)
• Setting-up and organizing the public health network required for its work, providing adequate coordination and leadership (EPHF 3 Public health stewardship)
• Protecting populations against health threats from communicable and noncommunicable diseases, including mental health conditions and, depending on the institutional mandate, environmental and occupational hazards and food insecurity, and chemical and radiation hazards
  (EPHF 5Health protection)
• Prevention and early detection of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, including mental health conditions and injuries (EPHF 6 Disease prevention and early detection)
• Providing knowledge and expertise for evidence-based promotion of health and well-being as well as for actions to address the wider determinants of health and inequity (EPHF 7 Health promotion)
• Contributing to the development and maintenance of an adequate and competent core group of public health personnel (EPHF 9 Public health workforce development)
• Advancing public health research and knowledge development (EPHF 11 Public health research, evaluation and knowledge)

How to use these recommendations and the IANPHI Framework

Peer-to-peer support is an essential resource that IANPHI offers to members. From planning the establishment of an NPHI, assessing its performance to arranging a voluntary peer review of current operations, the association facilitates a matching of needs with available expertise. The revised IANPHI Framework will serve as a resource for public health experts and stakeholders throughout these processes.

Next steps

The new IANPHI NPHI Framework is divided into 3 parts:

• Part A introduces NPHIs and the Essential Public Health Functions. It contains an annotated list of core, desirable, and optional NPHI functions, as recommended by IANPHI.
• Part B, the Process Guide (under development), will include different scenarios of NPHI creation and development, offering guiding questions and cross-referencing IANPHI tools to facilitate these processes.
• Part C, Annex (under development) is a living document which will continuously be developed and will comprise case studies, best practices, training tools or useful templates to support the implementation of the Framework.

IANPHI encourages its members, partners, and interested institutions to explore and utilize the new IANPHI NPHI Framework, as well as all other IANPHI tools and resources, and to engage in peer-to-peer collaboration when creating and developing NPHIs.

Please contact the IANPHI secretariat for support and information.