Public Health

 The College of Health Sciences and Technology Idah, Kogi State, offers National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programs in Public Health Technology. These programs equip students with the knowledge and skills to promote health, prevent disease, and improve the overall well-being of communities.


This is one of the most interestingly lively department in the college. A baby department (The department was created in 2021) with active Students, who goes on to challenge other established departments both in academics when they came third in the interdepartmental presentation held in the college auditorium in 2023 in the presence of the then Kogi State commissioner for health Dr. Zakari, who also mentioned he was running a masters program in public health. They also won the provost cup with an outstanding performance and were ready to win it the second time in a row before they were knocked out in the semi finals.


All thanks to the lecturer(s) who trained the students to be conscious of time, the 6am lectures of almost 3or4 days of the week, I personally told my good friend in the department that he should see it as training. I told him, 'The reason you discipline a child is not because he/she should be humiliated, you discipline a child to make him/her realize and recognize his/her dignity of human person'.


How do I forget the compulsory signing in and signing out that was ably implemented and monitored by the leadership of the department. In all, I say, God Bless all our tutors who inculcated and imparted knowledge, good morals and discipline to us.


The training programs in Public Health Technology cover various aspects, including:


1. *Epidemiology*: Studying the distribution and determinants of health-related events.

2. *Health Education*: Promoting healthy behaviors and practices.

3. *Environmental Health*: Ensuring safe water, sanitation, and waste management.

4. *Disease Control*: Preventing and controlling infectious and non-communicable diseases.


They go to Ministries of Health across the country for their SIWES. They write report of their experience and observations on the field, their seminar presentation is also superb with the use of projectors and invitations of lecturers from various departments (this reminds me of the environmental students we met as probational students, their then seminar presentation, to me, is still the best), they must write and defend their research/project work before sitting for licence/national exams. 



Graduates of Public Health Technology can work in various settings, including:


1. *Government Agencies*: Ministries of Health, Environmental Agencies.

2. *Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)*: Health-focused NGOs.

3. *Healthcare Facilities*: Hospitals, clinics, and community health centers.

4. *Research Institutions*: Conducting studies on public health issues.



Public Health Technologists play a crucial role in:


1. *Disease Prevention*: Implementing measures to prevent disease outbreaks.

2. *Health Promotion*: Educating communities on healthy practices.

3. *Environmental Health*: Ensuring safe living conditions.

4. *Policy Development*: Informing health policy decisions.


Another beautiful fact about this department is, it is arguably the profession that has the highest numbers of Masters and/PhD holders in the college. Some of the Environmentalists switch to a specialty in public health in their Masters, even from the Community Health department, we have tutors who are masters and/PhD that has either been earned or in-view in public health holder. I can also say that even the pharmacists can further his masters in public health........... Try and attend a class by the Apex leader of the college on the course 'Public Health Law' you'll understand my standpoint of this department/profession. What do we get from these observations, public health as a course of study is so large and wide in scope. 


Public Health 

           Health is wealth ✊✊✊



The College of Health Sciences and Technology Idah, Kogi State, plays a vital role in producing skilled public health professionals who contribute to improving the health and well-being of communities.


®Ahmed Salim Jn ✍️ 

15/04/2025


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