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To many, public health can be all about vaccines, sanitation, and health campaigns. One does not disagree, however, behind every successful intervention lies a powerful, often overlooked engine, namely, maths and statistics. Whether you're dreaming of an MPH (Master of Public Health) or just exploring the field, here’s why these skills are not just helpful, they’re essential.
Numbers Save Lives
What if a mysterious illness starts spreading in your town or city? How do we know how fast it’s spreading? Who’s most at risk? What programmes or interventions are working?
This is where epidemiology comes in, the science of tracking diseases. Epidemiologists use statistical models to calculate infection rates, predict outbreaks, and evaluate the effectiveness of public health measures. Therefore, without maths, we’d be flying blind.
Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that statistical models can help governments decide when to impose lockdowns, how to allocate hospital resources, and which communities needed the most support. These decisions weren’t guesses but based on data.
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Data into Action
Public health professionals can deal with massive amounts of data: hospital records, survey responses, environmental readings, and more. However, when the data is just raw numbers on their own, it is just noise.
That’s where statistics come in. It helps us:
Identify trends (e.g., rising obesity rates in teens)
Test hypotheses (e.g., does air pollution increase asthma risk?)
Evaluate programmes (e.g., did that anti-smoking campaign work?)
With some maths and statistical literacy, you can transform data into insights and insights into impact.
Critical Thinking
Studying maths and stats also sharpens your critical thinking, an essential part of any of our online master’s programmes. You’ll learn to question assumptions, spot biases, and understand uncertainty. These are vital skills in a world flooded with misinformation.
For instance, if a news article claims a new diet “reduces dementia risk by 50%,” a trained public health professional will ask: “50% of what? Was the study randomised? How big was the sample?” This type of thinking is powered by statistical thinking.
Your University of Warwick/iheed MPH Journey Starts Here
If you’re considering an MPH at iheed, don’t be intimidated by the numbers. You don’t need to be a math genius, just curious, open-minded, and willing to learn.
And the payoff? You’ll gain a toolkit that lets you tackle real-world problems with precision and confidence.
So yes, public health is about people, but to protect them, we need numbers. And that’s where you come in.
For more information on our University of Warwick Master of Public Health (MPH), visit our programme page.