DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH

 

OVERVIEW

The Department of Community Health follows the mode of teaching which begins in the early stages of training, at 200 level when introduction is made into Human Ecology and Social medicine. Later biostatistics is introduced followed by demography and environmental health. It also teaches medical ethics, public health nutrition, epidemiology and international Health. The curriculum in the department is accomplished through clinical, laboratory/field experiences and lectures/tutorials/seminars/conferences and individual/group presentations.

 

OBJECTIVES

 

 (a)       To introduce to the student the concept of Community Health and its relevance in the health care delivery system of Nigeria.

(b)        To equip the students with the knowledge and skills to be able to carry out epidemiological studies to identify the prevalent health problems in the community and also to determine ways and methods of alleviating these problems.

(c)        To equip the students with the knowledge and skills to be able to plan, organize and evaluate appropriate health programmes (promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative) in collaboration with other members of the health team in order to reduce mortality and morbidity in the community and also to improve the quality of life generally.

(d)        To develop in the students the spirit of team work in promoting health in all population groups of Nigeria.

 

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS

 

Transparencies, projection slides, power points and audio-video recordings will be used for teaching.

 

At the pre-clinical level, visits will be made under supervision to Environmental Health, Social Medicine facilities and Homes, to obtain experience.  While at the clinical level, occupational health, primary health care, school health services, endemic diseases clinics will be visited.  Community diagnosis will be an integral part of training in Community Health.

 

Seminars, tutorials, demonstrations and practical will be used to complement lectures.

 

EVALUATION

 

Students are evaluated on the basis of satisfactory participation in the clinical/field assignment, lectures, tutorials, seminars – attendance/examinations and satisfactory completion of the research/project work.

 

Two main examinations which take into consideration above stated evaluation methods and continuous assessment in form of various examinations and assessments by staff supervising, will be conducted.

 

The first examination will be at the 300 level along with Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology.

The second and final examination will be held at the 600 level along with Medicine and Surgery.

 

There will be an assessment after each course, which will form part of the continuous assessment for both 1st and 5th MBBS Examination in Community Health respectively

 

 

Level                 Units                 Courses

COH 231            1                      History of Medicine

COH 232            1                      Human Ecology

COH 233            1                      Social Medicine

COH 331            2                      Biostatistics

COH 332            1                      Demography

COH 333            2                      Environmental Health

COH 431            1                      Medical Ethics

COH 432            2                      Reproductive/Family Health

COH 433            1                      Health Education

COH 434            1                      Public Health Nutrition

COH 531            2                      Epidemiology – Principles/Methods

COH 532            1                      Occupational Health

COH 533            1                      International Health

COH 534            3                      Epidemiology of Communicable and Non-                                                  communicable diseases

COH 535            1                      Health Service Management and Administration

COH 536            1                      Research Methodology

COH 631            1                      Rehabilitative Medicine               

COH 632            8                      Community Health and Primary Health Care Posting

COH 633            3                      Project Work

 

 

200 LEVEL CLASS

 

COH 231:  HISTORY OF MEDICINE  (1 CREDIT)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the evolution of medicine.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Introduction to Community Health

-Concept of Health

-Dimension of Health

-Determinants of Health

-Spectrum of Health

-Indicators of Health

-Health and Development

 

Medicine in Antiquity

-Primitive Medicine

-Indian Medicine

-Chinese Medicine

-Egyptian Medicine

-Mesopotamian Medicine

-Greek Medicine

-Roman Medicine

-Middle Ages

 

Dawn of Scientific Medicine

-Revival of Medicine

-Sanitary Awakening

-Rise of Public Health

-Germ theory of disease

-Birth of Preventive Medicine

 

Modern Medicine

-Curative Medicine

-Preventive Medicine

-Social Medicine

-Changing Concepts of Public Health

 

Medical Revolution

 

Health Care Revolution

 

COH 232: HUMAN ECOLOGY (1 CREDIT)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to describe man and his environment.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Ecological concepts.

Components of the ecology (physical, biological and social).

Man’s interaction with environment.

Global Warming: Concepts and Principles

Effects of Global Warming on Health

 

COH 233:  SOCIAL MEDICINE (1 CREDIT)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the human organizations and systems

human populations

behavioural concepts in public health

the roles of culture, social, psychological and geographical factors in the aetiology of disease.

The relationship between social class and other family characteristics and accessibility to health care services and attitudes toward seeking medical care.

 

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

History of Social Medicine

Social Structure/Class, Culture and Health

Behaviour, Illness and Health

Stages of Human Development

Life events, Illness and Health

Life Style, Illness and Health

Psychosomatic Illnesses

Classification and Causes of Handicaps

Programmes for the Handicaps

Substance/Drug abuse classification, dependency diagnosis and treatment

Behaviour therapies/behaviour modification and behaviour diagnosis

Social Welfare Services in Nigeria and other countries

Medical Psychology

-Introduction to pscyhology; definition and history of psychology

-Psychology and Medical Practice

-Field of psychology; an introductory orientation to various fields and specialties of psychology.

-Schools of thought in psychology

-Psychology as a science

-Behaviour, motivation, moods, emotion and feelings

-Perception, thinking, intelligence, cognitive development, creativity, dynamics of personality etc.

 

300 LEVEL CLASS

 

COH 331: BIOSTATISTICS (2 CREDITS)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the theory and techniques of collecting, collating, analyzing and interpreting data.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Role of Biostatistics in medicine

Collection and organization of data

Scales of Measurement

Presentation of data

Measures of central tendency

Measures of variability

Probability and inductive statistics

Normal Distribution

Test Statistics

Parametric tests

Non-parametric tests

Correlation and regression

Application of computers in medicine/medical informatics

 

COH 332:  DEMOGRAPHY (1 CREDIT)

Course

objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the socially and biologically based population processes and their consequences on public health and social policy.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Sources of population data

Sources of health and vital statistics

Demographic components, Demographic theories, measurement of fertility and mortality

Population dynamics, structure and growth

Standardization of Rates

 

COH 333:  ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (2 CREDITS)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the relationship between environmental factors and health and acquire skills on the assessment and management of modern environmental health problems.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

The Environment and health

Components of environmental health

Water supply and waste disposal

Housing and health

Food Hygiene

Vector control

Medical Toxicology

Legislation and environmental health

 

400 LEVEL CLASS

 

COH 431:  MEDICAL ETHICS (1 CREDIT)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the code of conduct and professional responsibilities during the provision of services and research.

 

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

History and evolution of medical ethics

International code of medical ethics

Duties of doctors

The Nigerian Medical Council

Professional Negligence/Responsibility/Confidentiality/Misconduct

Ethics of Medical Research

The doctor and the law: Judicial, Coroner’s Court

 

COH 432: REPRODUCTIVE/FAMILY HEALTH (2 CREDITS)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the concepts and inter-relationship of physical growth, developmental maturation, family structure, function, and roles together with promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health principles and practices.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Concepts, components and objectives of reproductive/family health

Determinants of reproductive/family health

Measurements of reproductive/family health

Sexual development

Adolescent reproductive health

Family planning

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Cancers in reproductive health

Harmful practices, reproductive rights and gender issues

Prevention of maternal deaths and disabilities

Organization and evaluation of family health programmes

 

COH 433:  HEALTH EDUCATION (2 CREDITS)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the health education processes including assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of health education interventions.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

The nature and scope of health education

Current theories and models of health behaviour

The health communication process

Mass and Interpersonal communication: Theories, Models and Methods

Audio-Visual Media and Technology

Community Education, Mobilization and Development:

-Community Development Process

-Community participation and social mobilization strategies

-Community strategies for community mobilization

Social Marketing Strategies

 

COH 434:  PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION (1 CREDITS)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the use of the science of nutrition to identify and intervene in health problems related to nutrition.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Food classes and classification 

Functions of major food classes

Nutrition and health

Infection and nutrition

Epidemiology and control of common nutritional problems in Nigeria

Nutritional values of common Nigerian foodstuffs

Food policy, hygiene and toxicology

Assessment of nutritional status

Principles of therapeutic nutrition

Nutrition education

 

500 LEVEL CLASS

 

COH 531:  EPIDEMIOLOGY: PRINCIPLES/METHODS (CREDITS)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to provide knowledge and skills

1.         To conduct epidemiologic research.

2.            Formulate disease preventive strategies.

3.            Provide knowledge and skills to critically review health – related research literatures.

4.         Predict future trends in disease occurrences.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Historical concepts of epidemiology

Definition and uses of epidemiology

Epidemiological study designs – methods

Measurement of health and disease

Principles of disease causation and prevention

Measurement of risk of disease using epidemiologic data

Evaluation of diagnostic and screening tests

Critical reading of published reports

Application of epidemiology in health policy and services

 


COH 532:  OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (1 CREDIT)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list acquire knowledge and skills on diseases associated with occupational exposures and how they can be prevented. And also to know how to organize and manage occupational health services.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Principles of occupational health

History of and landmarks in occupational health

Functions of an occupational health service

Discipline and areas of practice in occupational health

The work environment

The interaction between work and health

Principles of disease prevention and hazard control in the industry

Diseases due to physical factors: heat and cold effects: ionizing and non-ionizing radiation: noise as a health hazard: pressure vibration and mechanical stress; light and darkness problems.

Mechanical environment and its problems: work ergonomics, the man-machine interface

occupational accidents; epidemiology and control of work accident.

Disease due to biological agents: anthrax, bagassosis; farmers’ hands; birds facies diseases; hook-worm, brucellosis, leptospirosis, rabies.

Diseases due to chemical agents:

-Diseases due to metals; lead, mercury, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium tin, manganese, iron, copper, zinc.

-Diseases due to chemical compounds; organic compounds; halogenated hydrocarbons; bis (chloromethyl) esthers; pesticides; benzidine; the naphthylkamines; toxic gases and fumes; irritant gases and fumes.

-Occupational cancers: lungs, oronasal mucosa, sinuses, leukaemia, plura, liver, skin.

-Occupational diseases: silicosis, coal workers pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, the benign pneumoconiosis, extrinsic alveolitis, byssinosis, other obstructive occupational lung diseases: granulomatosis lung diseases; simple occupational pneumonitis; occupational chronic bronchitis.

-Regulation and control of occupational health problems: occupational legislation: factory laws; workman compensation laws; labour laws; miscellaneous occupational legislations; organization of occupational health internationally and in Nigeria: health education in the industry, role of the labour union in occupational health services; ethics in occupational health.

-Special issues in occupational health: special groups in occupational health women, the disabled, special screen and programmes in occupational health, occupational psychology and services; agricultural occupational health, occupational health in mining, petroleum, road and air transportation migrant workers.

 

COH 533:  INTERNATIONAL HEALTH (1 CREDIT)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the concepts of International Health and the role of International Health regulations and agencies in the control of internationally notifiable diseases.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Scope and content of international health

Origins and development of international health

International health regulations

Port health services – objectives, organization and functions

Role of international and Non-Government Health Agencies in promoting International health.

International aspect of communicable disease control

International travel and health

 

COH 534: EPIDEMIOLOGY OF COMMUNICABLE AND NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (3 CREDITS)

Course objectives:

 

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe the skills required for the prevention of diseases of Public Health importance.

 

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

 

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

 

Content

Communicable diseases

-Terms and concepts used in communicable disease epidemiology

-The natural history of diseases: the cycle of health and disease

-Human immunity and factor of human immunity against diseases: herd immunity, etc.

-Epidemiological classification of infectious diseases

-Diseases transmitted through the respiratory tract