INTRODUCTION TO THE DEPARTMENT
Mission of the Department
To train and develop health professionals with ability to offer quality health care which is geared towards promotion of health and prevention of health.
Vision of the Department
To be a leading institution of higher learning with capacity to develop, through training and research, health professionals who have competencies to provide community oriented health care focusing on promotion of health and prevention of illness.
Philosophy of the Department
The department of public health sciences and its educational programmes in contribution to the main goal of Mt. Kenya University (MKU) emphasizes the shift from curative health services to preventive health services as outlined in the Kenya policy (1994).
The focus of the programme in translating the main goal of MKU and Ministry of health Policy (1994) is to train professionals on how to maintain healthy existence, promote health and prevent potential health hazards in the environment.
The department’s desire and commitment is also to train practitioners with adequate skills and positive attitudes in environmental sanitation that enable individuals, families, communities that ensure, safe disposal of excreta, water safety, safe workplaces, food safety, safe disposal of waste, pollution control, high level of personal and public hygiene and protection against vectors in the environment.
This participatory approach adopted by the department is derived from the WHO original ideal that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.”
The programme therefore recognizes that “Good Health and Survival of mankind depends on his ability to control environmental factors that may cause deleterious effects on his well-being.”
On this premise the training skills achieved are based on multidisciplinary approach for one to plan, design and implement public health programmes to promote health. It is against background that graduates trained through this programme are expected to operationalize their activities between different professional disciplines, agencies, authorities towards promotion and improvement of public health initiative. The department therefore has a role of developing professionals who are capable of meeting challenges of public health problems in multidisciplinary approach through training and community based research strategies.
Rationale of the Department
The policy of the Ministry of health towards improving health status of the county’s population is to lay more emphasis on preventive and promotive health in achieving the gal of Health for All by the year 2000 and beyond.
In contribution to overall aim of the ministry of health, the Department of Public Health promotes and assists communities’ initiative to animate their own preventive and promotive measures, in order to maintain good health e.g. achieving adequate sanitation through modification of human environment among other activities.
The main purpose is to prevent and reduce the transimission of infectious diseases in the human population by improving physical, biological, cultural and social environmental conditions.
The scope and dimension of Public health, is therefore, broad and constantly changing due to dynamic human activities and the natural forces in our environment, which affects quality of human life. It is, therefore, necessary to prepare a competent officer academically and professionally sound, to be able to cope with the emerging problems in our environment.
In practice, public health professions require an integral knowledge of the relevant basic science together with detailed skills of applications on the legal requirement and code of practice.
This will enable the professional to identify situations that are detrimental to man’s health and take the necessary measures.
It is against such background the department is intended to provide necessary fundamental and applied public health and educational concepts, which enable the students to pursue their careers on health delivery through a multidisciplinary approach.
The scope and dimensions of public health is broad and constantly changing, due to dynamic human activities and natural forces in our environment, and on the quality of human life, which are already imposing the need for better academic and professional preparation and competence, to be able to cope with the emerging problems of health in our eco-system.
The practice of public health professional requires an integration of knowledge of the relevant sciences together with detailed appreciation of legal requirements and code of practice in order to enable identification of situations hazardous to man’s health and hygiene. The formation of solution to overcome public health problems also require skilful and imagination in the conduct of problem investigation together with broad education and tact in the enforcement of legislation.
Against such background the department intends to provide the necessary fundamental and applied health education, which will enable the students, to pursue their career and to establish efficient, working relationship with other related profession groups.
This is summarized in the motto “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.”
Aims of the Department
To develop a professional with competences to carry out preventive and promotive health services in the community and capable of adapting to changing trends in the health care delivery systems.
Objectives of the Department
- To provide facilities for college education for national health manpower requirement in addition to facilities provided by other universities, colleges, schools or institutions.
- To play an effective role in the development and expansion of opportunities for individuals wishing to continue their education in the health science disciplines.
- To provide consultancy services in health and related areas.
- To provide trainers who can effectively teach, conduct operational research, develop relevant and useful health learning materials and manage health training institutions.
- To undertake research in disciplines and matters approved by the Academic board, either directly or through the medium of connected universities, colleges, schools or institutions.
- To conduct examinations and grant diplomas, certificates and other awards as approved by the university senate.
- To make proposals for the establishment of constituent training centers and facilities.