DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
FACULTY OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING
FEDERAL COLLEGE OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGY AND THERAPY TRANS EKULU, ENUGU.
LIST OF LECTURER
| S/N | NAMES OF LECTURER | EMAIL ADDRESS |
| 1 | Okusanya Taiwo | taicollectn@gmail.com |
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
FACULTY OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING
FEDERAL COLLEGE OF DENTAL TECHNOLOGY AND THERAPY, ENUGU.
Brief Description of Public Health Department
Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities, and individuals.
Public health practitioners take a broad view of the society to protect and improve the lives of individuals, families, communities, and population and prevent illness. They engage in activities that advocate for and promote policies that encourage health lifestyles and behaviour, research in diseases, detection, control and prevention of diseases. This is particular needful in this period of COVID 19 pandemic.
It is one of the top paying and needful careers in Nigeria and most successful in terms of job opportunities and prospects as it deals with issues confronting our daily lives. . The profession span across a large range of spheres and activities which all focus on evaluation and regulation of public health. It is practiced at the local, state, national and global level.
The field is a dynamic one as it entertains graduates from various fields to enroll for the degree at master level. Only few schools like Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy offer the course at first degree level.
The Public Health Department of the Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy was established in the Year 2019 in affiliation with Federal University of Owerri (FUTO). It is a Bachelors of Technology (B.Tech) programe. The curriculum is built on the major tenets of Public Health Science and in accordance with the National Universities Commission (NUC) Basic Academinc Standards (BMAS). The curriculum is drawn from a vast spectrum of disciplines and knowledge area including but not limited to epidemiology, biostatistics, social sciences, basic & applied sciences, humanities, physiology and anatomy, community medicine, law and ethics, computer science and application, management, pharmacology etc.
Function and Activities of the Department
The department through a combination of practical experience and academic rigour, prepare the student and equip them with knowledge and skills to
- Function adequately with other members of the health team at local, state , national and international settings to increase the knowledge , skills and motivation necessary for individuals to assume greater responsibility for their health status;
- Assess the health needs of diverse communities/population through community diagnosis and participate actively in community mobilization processes;
- Plan, implement and evaluate collaborative health promotion and disease prevention program within various groups and communities setting;
- Recommend and execute health intervention programs to address specific community health needs;
- Facilities and build local community capacity to solve public health problems through partnership and collaboration with other agencies and so on.
Career Progression in Public Health:
There is a great opportunity for career progression from first degree in Public health (BSc) to second degree (MPH or MSPH) and subsequently third degree (DrPH or PhD)
Career Prospects in Public Health:
Career opportunities are abundant and competitive in ranges of organizations that promote and support the health of the public (individuals, families, communities and population).
Depending on the level of exposure and education in the field, the following are jobs available for public health professionals:
Epidemiologist, health educator, Disease control specialist, Community health coordinator, Health Programed Coordinators, Environmental Health Career, Dental Hygienist/Technologist, Public Health Physician, Researcher, Lecturer, Public health Consultant, Director of Mental health , Diseases Intervention Specialist, Outreach Coordinator, HIV/AIDS Prevention Coordinator, Patient Care Coordinator, Health Planner, Public Health Advisor and many other
Places where a Public Health Specialist can work includes but not limited to the following;
- Voluntary or Independent: establishing your own Non-governmental organization
- Public sector: Federal and State Ministry of Health, local government, Tertiary, Secondary and Primary health care deliveries agencies, Air/Seaport etc.
- Non-governmental Organization, Private /Faith Based Sector and Charitable Foundation: Family Health International (FHI), Society for Family Health(SFH), TY Danjuma Foundation, Catholic Relief Services, Young Men Christian Association (YMCA), Rockerfeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, Oil Companies etc.
- National Agencies/Federal Parastatals: National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), National Population Council (NPC) etc.
- International Agencies: World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nation Organization (UNO)Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, International Labour Organization (ILO) , United Nation Development Program (UNDP), International Red Cross etc.
- Research Institution.
Universities and Colleges