For many centuries, the care for individuals and population health has been the domain of medical science. However, it is widely acknowledged that contemporary health problems are complex and cannot be solved only by hospitals and medical doctors. Many diseases are related to lifestyles, the social and physical environment, access to information and the opportunities for making healthy choices.

The specialisation at takes a comparative perspective with respect to the empowerment of individuals, communities and populations. In other words, the degree to which people have (financial) means to arrange their lives and the extent to which they can use resources for health protection and health improvement. In that way emphasis is on the social embedding of health and activities of health promotion. The comparative perspective translates into a geographical orientation on differences between developed and developing countries. This geographical orientation is motivated by the fact that issues of social justice, a fundamental principle in health promotion, often relate to inequalities and inequities between regions.

Career prospects

Graduates of this specialisation work for governments, health care institutes or arbo services. Alumni work in national or international organisations, like the Red Cross, Oxfam Novib, or patient associations, research institutes, insurers or health-promoting institutes.?