The Future of Public Health: Emerging Trends to Watch

In the second half of the 20th century, scientists and doctors discovered that exposure to tobacco smoke was causing health problems in non-smokers. That discovery prompted public health experts to successfully advocate for indoor smoking bans to protect the health of non-smokers. In 2023, researchers found that smoke-free policies were “associated with reductions in the incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease, reductions in cardiovascular disease mortality, reductions in hospitalizations due to cardiovascular disease, reductions in respiratory system disease mortality, reductions in hospitalizations due to respiratory system disease, and reductions in adverse birth outcomes.”¹ Smoking bans are now considered one of the most fundamental public health initiatives in America.
 
Public health focuses on disease prevention, as well as other issues, including mental health, healthcare delivery and emergency management. With technological advances in communication and shared research findings, communities around the world have become better connected. However, recent shifts in priorities in the United States could lead to changes in how we manage public health. 
 
This post will explore a few of the most pressing public health trends emerging today.
 

The healthcare sector as a whole is growing at a faster rate than other parts of the economy. Overall employment of health education specialists and community health workers is expected to grow 17% by 2030, much faster than job growth for most other occupations.² There is a consistent and rising demand for people who have expertise in healthcare delivery and the knowledge of how to address society-scale health challenges. 
 
Public health professionals have a variety of job options in different facets of the field. The online Master of Public Health (MPH) program at Kent State University allows students to choose a concentration in health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences or apply for the STEM-certified MPH in epidemiology. These concentration areas prepare students to move into jobs in research, health program management, public safety and emergency management, health care delivery, advocacy or health education. 
 

Public health professionals need to be responsive to acute crises, such as disease outbreaks or public emergencies. In addition, systems need to adapt to research advances, new treatments and technology and shifts in politics and public sentiment. These factors are all changing the landscape for public health in 2025 and beyond.
 

Technology is a topic of current interest across the healthcare spectrum. Advances in medical and consumer technologies intersect in ways that can benefit millions of people. For example, teleretinal screenings have increased access to testing for diabetic retinopathy, a condition that causes vision loss without early detection and treatment.³ Wireless communications also led to advances in remote health monitoring, which can reduce hospital readmissions without compromising ongoing care for common conditions, such as diabetes and cardiac disease.⁴ 

Assessing the value of health technologies to improve wellness at scale and developing programs to broaden access to beneficial technologies will be a task for public health specialists.
 

Training the next generation of public health professionals is an essential function within the public health community. Full-time professors and administrators at colleges and universities oversee core training programs for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing public health careers. 
 
In addition, it’s not unusual for people working in the field to work as adjunct faculty or lecturers at colleges and universities. Current professionals also act as supervisors and mentors to students completing internships or research projects. These roles are both important and rewarding, which makes them appealing to many professionals who want to share their knowledge and experience. 
 
One of the more recent public health education trends is online learning options for public health degrees. Online educational opportunities have added a new degree of access and flexibility for teaching and mentoring students. Professionals can teach remotely, removing geographic barriers to teaching opportunities. Asynchronous learning and flexible scheduling mean public health professionals can schedule teaching around other work responsibilities.  
 

In 2025, proposed cuts to federal spending have led to fears that Medicaid funding will be dramatically reduced.⁵ Medicaid was designed to help people living under financial duress still access healthcare. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that one in five people living in the US relies on Medicaid, which accounts for nearly $1 out of every $5 spent on healthcare.⁶ Without adequate federal funding, states may have to reduce coverage and restrict benefits, creating significant financial barriers to care.
 
Public health experts will be instrumental in designing new programs to deliver care to uninsured and underinsured populations. Developing and implementing programs, such as community health centers, mobile clinics and school-based wellness centers, will be critical to maintaining health in communities throughout the country. 
 

In the closing months of 2024, a measles outbreak began in Texas. By May of 2025, close to 1,000 cases had been reported in 11 states.⁷ The outbreak of a previously eradicated, vaccine-preventable illness has led to concerns about the potential resurgence of other archaic diseases.⁸ It also calls into question control of seasonal illnesses such as influenza. 
 
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the current Secretary of Health and Human Services, is a noted critic of vaccinations. He is unlikely to strengthen vaccine programs during his tenure.⁹ As a result, public health infrastructure will be needed to recognize and manage regular outbreaks of transmissible diseases. 
 

Public health is at an inflection point in America. With the second Trump administration cutting funding to medical research and eliminating communications functions across the federal government, healthcare experts face new trends in public health that impact gathering and communicating critical biomedical information.
Public health systems may need to focus on addressing the lack of access to care and responding to acute health crises due to disease outbreaks. States and localities may need to forge new relationships with academic institutions to fill gaps in health surveillance and biomedical research. In addition, public health agencies will need to create communication and education systems that allow them to reach the public with important information. 
 
These challenges will call for professionals who are prepared to innovate and make use of communication and online technology in novel ways. Today’s MPH students can take this opportunity to study innovative global public health solutions and how they can be applied to the changing environment within the United States. 
 

Professionals joining the public health sector will have opportunities to develop and operationalize innovative solutions to emerging health challenges. State and local public health agencies, in conjunction with nonprofit and private sector partners, will take on a larger role in addressing public health needs. Current health trends suggest a shift to community-based strategies. This will underscore the need for programs and services that are appropriately responsive and inclusive to the needs of all populations within a community. 
 
You can prepare for a role in the future of public health with the online MPH program at Kent State University. Taught by seasoned public health and healthcare professionals, and asynchronous to meet your schedule, this program is designed with your long-term success in mind.

To learn more about this flexible, fully online program, schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor today.