Franklin Marshall Matthews White (born 1946) is a Canadian public health scientist focused on capacity building for international and global education, research and development.

"[2] "Nations (must) assess their public health human resource needs and develop their ability to deliver this capacity, and not depend on other countries to supply it.

[5] Visiting field sites and taking seasonal employment in the industry, he came to appreciate that how people live and work impacts their health.

[8] In 1970-71 he joined the Ministry of Health (British Columbia) as a trainee, then enrolled with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine under the tutelage of social epidemiologist Jerry Morris, gaining an MSc in 1973.

He published several novel investigations: Legionnaires' disease,[14] shigellosis on a work train in Labrador,[15] gastrointestinal infection related to pooled expressed breast milk,[16] poliomyelitis in an unvaccinated religious community,[17] and brucellosis in a slaughterhouse;[18] he also published on imported diseases,[19] health systems and immunization policy.

At age 36, he was appointed "Ezra Butler Eddy" Professor and Head, Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University (1982–89), and was an elected member of Senate for the same period.

[30] Using records linkage, he investigated cancer incidence and mortality in indoor workers;[31] similar innovative methods were applied to an inter-provincial study of heart disease.

[35] Based in Port of Spain, Trinidad as Director (1989–95), Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC/PAHO/WHO), a reference agency for 22 member nations, he emphasized resource mobilization.

Subsequently, based in Washington DC for the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), promoting an evidence-based approach,[42][43] in 1995 he guided development of a regional non-communicable disease (NCD) program focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.

[56][57] He guided the design and implementation of an MSc in health policy and management, and intervention evaluations in hard-to-reach settings (see map of Karakorum Highway), such as the Water and Sanitation Extension Program.

From 2004 to 2009, he served on the International Advisory Board, National Action Plan, NCD Prevention, Control & Health Promotion, Pakistan.

During the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan (2001–14), White published his views and concerns in scientific journals: on the case for an epidemiology of terrorism and the potential for successive waves of violence, lamenting the "lack of enlightened leadership... which has brought us to this...":[86] the targeting of water supply infrastructure,[87] "collateral damage" among children,[88] and need for a stronger response from the global community, citing international law.

He has been keynote speaker in several countries, including: webinar to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Public Health Association (2010); launching of SHOW (Survey of the Health of Wisconsin), USA, 2008; Inauguration Address "Ibn Ridwan" building, AKU, Karachi in the presence of the Aga Khan, 2000; "Bicentenario del Nacimiento de Jose Cayetano Heredia" hosted by la Academia Nacional de Medicina, Peru, 1997; and visiting scientist, WHO Collaborating Center for Rural & Border Health, University of Arizona, 1993.

At the 1990 World Masters Athletics North American Championships,[104] he won the silver medal in pentathlon and bronze in 400 metres hurdles.