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Most developing countries currently have to cope with a wide range of health problems that interfere with their future economic development. Public health is a major priority, especially continuing high levels of maternal and child mortality, the spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and common infectious diseases, as well as the emergence of chronic disease epidemics.

A trained workforce of health professionals is essential, both for the populations themselves and to help deal with global threats to public health. Local universities offering public health education may be oversubscribed for face to face courses and fees for overseas universities, including e-learning distance programmes, are higher than can be afforded by most potential students in these countries. Internet-based e-learning has the exciting potential to deliver high quality learning resources anytime and anywhere, and although access is by no means universal it is improving quickly.