When 118 students in a classroom in Peru were asked how many have a friend or relative who died of infant diarrhea, everyone raised their hands.

In this country, infant diarrhea, an infection caused mainly by poor sanitary conditions, is the leading cause of death. This is one reason why Peru has been a common destination for faculty members at Loma Linda University School of Public Health.

In the summer of 2003, the School of Public Health (SPH) began courses for its off-campus master’s of public health (MPH) program at Universidad Peruana Union (UPeU) in Lima. About a year from now, 118 students from South America and the Caribbean will graduate with an MPH in public health practice or maternal child health.

“Peru is a poor country and the efficiency of public health is very important there,” says John Morgan, DrPH, associate professor of epidemiology/biostatistics at the School of Public Health. “Most people in the country do not have health care, so public health is the most cost-effective way to prevent illness.”

Twice a year, in January and July, SPH professors teach four to five courses in one month’s time. The students have pre- and post-assignments, as well as field practicums during the two-year program. All students in the program are health professionals or active public health practitioners, which, in this case, includes pastors.

In January Dr. Morgan and Cesar Galvez, DrPH, coordinator of the MPH program at UPeU, formed a union between LLU and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of Peru to influence the direction of public health problems. They gave a scientific presentation and earned the support of the Peruvian NCI to market the MPH program at the university. Graduates from the program will now have the opportunity to work in the national health department of Peru.

“These graduates are going to be part of the vision to make sure that the infrastructure to prevent illness is built,” says Dr. Morgan.

“The students are thrilled beyond words about LLU’s off-campus MPH program,” says Christine Neish, PhD, associate dean and associate professor for health promotion and education at the School of Public Health. “They told me, ‘This is a dream that we never dared to dream, and to have LLU come here is unbelievable.’”