There is a dearth of core Public Health Professionals in the government health machinery. It is estimated that more than 10,000 Public Health Professionals would be required on an annual basis to equip the government machinery with an appropriately trained and qualified public health workforce. With a rapid health transition taking place, India faces two threats, one being the rising disease burden and the other is the poor allocation of government funds; both can be effectively managed by personnel trained in public health through appropriate public health training, i.e. ability to involve communities, work in multidisciplinary teams, and lobbying with government and community  leaders with  a deep understanding of social, economic and environmental determinants of health,  Public Health Professionals are well armed to face these challenges.