PUBLIC HEALTH

Public Health is defined as the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and
promoting health through the organized efforts of society.
The role of public health department is to promote health, control and prevent diseases through
the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private
communities, and individuals.
Roles of a Public Health Officer include;
1) Implementation of sanitation and hygiene standards in the Hospital.
2) Food quality control- ensure that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is
prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.
-Done through inspection of food and non-food premises (eateries and shops). Includes
checking for water supply, ways through which food is stored, food sampling, medical
examination of food handlers and meat inspection at butcheries.
-The public health officer also gives licenses for the food premises to operate.
3) Water quality control
-Water sources (availability).
-Water treatment.
-Drinking water sampling; bacteriological testing and chemical testing to measure sodium
levels.
4) Immunization
-There are vaccines that only the Public Health Officer can administer such as rabies vaccine.
5) Solid and liquid waste management
-Includes health care waste management e.g. Highly infectious waste to red bin, infectious
waste to the yellow bin and general waste to the black bin.
6) Building/Construction
-Inspection and supervision of ongoing construction.
-Approval of building plans.
-Site visit – Check on the plumbing and drainage system.
7) Health education and promotion
-Creating awareness on sanitation.
8) School health
-Inspection.
-Screening of the children.
-Deworming.
-Health education.

Challenges
1. Defaulter tracing is difficult.
2. Inadequate resources.
3. Political interference.
4. Few Public health officers and thus overworking the PHO who serves a large population.

Recommendations
-Intensive awareness and follow up of especially defaulters on the need to get treatment for their
wellbeing.
-More PHOs to be enlisted to the facility to address the staffing insufficiencies in the department
and provide an automobile to the department for easy dispensation of its outreach activities.

Public Health Law Enforcement

-Public health Act cap 242
-Food, drugs, chemical substance Act Cap 254
-Medical Practitioners Act Cap 253

The tools used in this department were:

1. Community Health Workers Service Delivery log book (MOH 514)
2. Community Health Strategy (MOH 513)
3. Community Health Extension Worker Summary (MOH 515)
4. Community Health Check Board (MOH 516)