PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Robert Verrecchia AU - Osman Dar AU - Olaa Mohamed-Ahmed AU - Neil Squires TI - Building operational public health capacity through collaborative networks of National Public Health Institutes AID - 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001868 DP - 2019 Oct 01 TA - BMJ Global Health PG - e001868 VI - 4 IP - 5 4099 - http://gh.bmj.com/content/4/5/e001868.short 4100 - http://gh.bmj.com/content/4/5/e001868.full SO - BMJ Global Health2019 Oct 01; 4 AB - The strengthening of public health systems internationally is integral to the improvement and protection of global population health. Essential public health functions and services are provided for by a range of organisations working together, often co-ordinated and strategically led by national Ministries of Health. Increasingly, however, National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) are being developed to better integrate and support the delivery of these services. In this paper, we outline the role of NPHIs, analyse their advantages and shortcomings, and explore their potential to deliver enhanced public health through collaborative networking as well as partnership with WHO.