Health Minister Urges Evidence-Based Policy at INSP Graduation

The School of Public Health of Mexico celebrated the graduation of 144 public health specialists. These professionals will support Mexico's strained health workforce, where physician density remains below the OECD average despite steady annual training output. 

Mexico needs a new generation of public health specialists to translate scientific knowledge into policy, said Minister of Health David Kershenobich during the graduation ceremony of the 104th cohort of the School of Public Health of Mexico (ESPM), held Sept. 3 at the National Public Health Institute (INSP) in Cuernavaca, Morelos. The ceremony conferred degrees to 144 graduates of specialty, master's, and doctoral programs.

"Mexico needs your knowledge, your commitment, and the evidence you will generate so that every health policy decision becomes fairer, more informed, and more humane," Kershenobich told graduates, according to the ESPM. Kershenobich said the country is moving toward a universal health service centered on prevention and primary care, intended to guarantee free and effective access regardless of a person's affiliation status or place of residence.

The graduation places new workforce capacity behind a health policy agenda that the Ministry of Health has been building through 2026. Kershenobich has repeatedly tied prevention and primary care to the administration's broader strategy: when Mexico and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization signed the Country Cooperation Strategy 2026-2030 in July, he said the framework would "guide our shared priorities in the years ahead," with emphasis on expanding access to quality services and strengthening the Ministry's stewardship role within the National Health System. At the ESPM ceremony, Kershenobich reinforced that same alignment, framing the newly credentialed specialists as the technical capacity needed to carry the strategy's prevention-first priorities into practice.

Kershenobich pointed to a specific set of clinical and demographic pressures facing the graduates: diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and chronic kidney disease, alongside emerging challenges tied to mental health, accelerated population aging, and social inequality. "None of these challenges can be solved with good will alone," Kershenobich said. "They require rigorous knowledge, scientific evidence, management capacity, and professionals trained to translate knowledge into decisions and projects that improve the lives and well-being of Mexican families." He called on graduates to maintain scientific rigor, pursue continuous professional development, and keep questioning and researching throughout their careers.

The graduation also comes as Mexico works to close a persistent gap between medical training output and system-wide staffing needs. The country trains about 17,500 new doctors and 12,500 specialists annually, reaching nearly 666,000 licensed physicians, yet still counts 2.6 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants, among the lowest ratios in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. That structural shortage underscores why public health leadership, not only clinical staffing, factors into the government's workforce strategy, positioning specialized graduates like those from the ESPM's 104th generation as a lever for improving system coordination rather than direct patient volume alone.

Public health leadership must be grounded in science and prioritize collective well-being over individual benefit, said Eduardo Lazcano, General Director, INSP. He added that the field is shifting toward community-centered, socially oriented leadership models that emphasize emotional intelligence and digital adaptability over rigid hierarchical management, adding that new professionals will need to navigate increasingly complex information systems, counter disinformation, and apply tools such as AI, advanced simulation, and virtual reality.

Bernardo Hernandez, Director, ESPM, said the institution has restructured its academic programs, strengthened ties between teaching and research, and launched dual postgraduate degrees with partner institutions, including the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. The school has also expanded exchange agreements with national and international universities and deepened collaboration with education and health sector institutions to respond to shifting population needs, he said.

Founded in 1922, the ESPM has trained generations of professionals working in epidemiology, research, management, and public policy formulation. The 104th generation's specializations span preventive medicine, clinical care quality, community health, epidemiology, infectious disease, nutrition, environmental health, biostatistics, and health systems and policy, according to the school. With this cohort now entering the workforce, Mexico adds specialized talent aimed at advancing a health system officials describe as universal, preventive, equitable, and responsive to population needs, though the practical effect on service delivery will depend on how quickly these specialists are absorbed into public institutions already managing physician shortages and infrastructure gaps.