Final answer:
It has been difficult for the PH field to generate workforce to population staffing standards due to a lack of interest in public health careers, insufficient educational programs and funding, and being a low-priority field for policymakers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking why it has been so difficult for the public health (PH) field to generate workforce to population staffing standards. The challenges include a combination of factors, such as lack of interest in public health careers, insufficient educational programs and funding, and public health being a low-priority field for policymakers. These elements contribute to the difficulty in establishing clear staffing standards. Each factor alone presents significant obstacles, but together they lead to a compounded effect that hampers the development of a robust public health workforce. This challenge is exacerbated in low-income countries where additional issues like managing infectious diseases, high infant mortality rates, scarce medical personnel, inadequate water and sewer systems, and high unemployment rates among people with disabilities due to inadequate healthcare and educational limitations exist. In high-income nations, the challenges are different but also significant, like combating obesity and improving access to healthcare.