How to study public health in Nigeria – Public health is one of the best courses to study in Nigeria. It is lucrative and solves real-world problems. This course is broad and enables professionals to work and connect with individuals from diverse specializations and fields.
This course offers a lot of job opportunities and career prospects that can be life-changing. People who want to dive into public health must receive a sound education from an accredited higher learning institution in Nigeria to enjoy the benefits it offers.
In this article we will tell you how to study public health in Nigeria including the requirements, the best schools to study public health in Nigeria, jobs held by public health professionals, list some of the public health courses in Nigeria, and answer frequently answered questions on studying public health in Nigeria.
What is Public Health?
Public health is a field of science that deals with improving and protecting the health of people and their communities.This field of medical science also promotes a healthy lifestyle among people in a society by investigating injuries and diseases to see how they can be stopped to enable people to live in good health.
Public health workers are in charge of finding ways to stop people from getting injured or sick while doctors treat sick patients. They also educate the masses on the importance of healthy living.
First responders, Restaurant inspectors, Health educators, Scientists and Researchers, Nutritionists, Community planners, Social workers, Epidemiologists, Public health physicians, Public health nurses, occupational health and safety professionals, Public policymakers, and Sanitarians are some examples of the many fields of public health.
Public Health Courses in Nigeria
Some public health courses in Nigeria are
Environmental Public Health
This offshoot of public health focuses on the connection between people and their environment as it endeavors to promote a safe community for people to live in and human health. It tackles environmental hazards like pollution. It also focuses on how pollution can be eradicated for a healthier environment.
Community Health Education
Community Health Education focuses on studying and improving the health attributes of a particular population. It also protects, improves, and promotes the health of communities and individuals.
Drug Education
This branch of public health focuses on the management of drugs and educating individuals and communities on the effects of drugs on their physical health.
Biostatistics
Biostatistics is a branch of public health that deals with the collection and inspection of information or data concerning the health of individuals in a region or community.
Primary Health Care
Primary health care focuses on empowering communities, families, and individuals to take care of their health.
Epidemiology
This offshoot of public health studies the spread and control of diseases through scientific methods.
Other public health courses in Nigeria are
Tropical Public Health, Occupational Health, Environmental Health, Health Services Administration, Health Promotion and Education, Population and Reproductive Health Education, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Child and Adolescent Health, Field Epidemiology, Medical Demography, Child health and family planning, Emotional health, Mental health, Health care delivery system and organization, Health economics, Health Management, and Informatics, Public health Technology, International Public Health Management, Public Health Policy & Management, Public Health Education, Public Health Information, Education & Communication, disease control & surveillance, Health Systems Management & Administration, and Community/Family and Reproductive Health.
How to Study Public Health in Nigeria
You can study public health in a reputable college or university in Nigeria either at the undergraduate or graduate level. Below is how to study public health in Nigeria
Undergraduate level
To study public health at the undergraduate level in Nigeria, you need to first choose a course in public health and choose a reputable university to get a bachelor’s degree in public health.
Bachelor’s in public health
To gain a bachelor’s degree in public health in Nigeria, you need the following requirements. A minimum of five credit passes in five subjects including mathematics, English language, Chemistry, and health science/biology in O’ level examinations like WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, or its equivalent in no more than two sittings.
Candidates are also mandated to take the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination and get the cut-off mark set by JAMB or the tertiary institution of their choice.
For Direct Entry
To study public health in Nigeria through direct entry, you need to have completed your Higher National Diploma with an upper credit or your NCE degree in Science Education, Physical/Health Education, Nutrition, and Home Economics, among others.
When admitted, direct entry students automatically start from the 2nd year (200 level)
Master’s Degree in Public Health
To study for a master’s in public health in Nigeria, you must have completed your bachelor’s degree with a minimum of second class lower or a good postgraduate diploma adding to an HND certificate or first degree.
You must have a bachelor’s degree in areas like Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biology, Geology, Medicine/Medical Sciences, Botany, Physiology, Medical lab science and technology, and Pharmacy among others. The master’s degree program in public health supplies students with deeper knowledge about public health and equips them with an unmatched set of skills and tenets needed to fulfill the demands of public health in the modern world.
A Master’s degree in Public Health program in Nigeria normally lasts for a minimum of 1 year for Medical doctors and 2 years for most Paramedical degree holders. At the end of a master’s in public health, students should be able to interpret and examine all types of health data, narrate disease distribution and decide causative organisms, decide the epidemiology and pathophysiology of diseases, and assess any environmental factors that may be responsible for the health status of any specified community, examine, organize and regulate policies connected to health care organizations, and present needed solutions to numerous health problems, among other things.
It is important to note that what ultimately decides the requirements you need to study for a master’s degree in public health is the institution of higher learning you choose. Each school has a specific requirement for admission to its master’s degree program in public health. It is advisable to find out what your school of choice requires and adhere to them.
Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health (Ph.D. in Public Health)
This is the highest degree you can get in public health. To get a doctor of philosophy in public health in Nigeria, you need to have a master’s degree in public health (MPH) and a bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited university in Nigeria.
Ensure that you find out the requirement for studying doctor of philosophy in public health in the higher learning institution of your choice and adhere to it.
Best Schools to Study Public Health in Nigeria
Nigeria has some of the best schools to study public health and they are:
- University of Ibadan
- University of Nigeria, Nsukka
- Federal University of Technology, Owerri
- Covenant University
- University of Lagos
- Babcock University
- University of Calabar
- University of Port Harcourt
- Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife
- Bauchi State University
- Madonna University
- Adeleke University
Conclusion
Public health is a field of science that focuses on upgrading and safeguarding the health of individuals and their communities. This field also encourages a healthy lifestyle and educates individuals and communities on the best way to prevent and treat diseases and injuries.
This field of medical science is lucrative and offers lots of opportunities and career prospects that can be mind-blowing. Some of the job titles of those who studied public health are Restaurant inspectors, Public health nurses, First responders, Health educators, Epidemiologists, Scientists and researchers, Community planners, Social workers, Public health physicians, Occupational Health and Safety professionals, and Nutritionists. Public health graduates can work in the school’s health ministry, hospital, and clinics.
Public health is among the courses studied in higher learning institutions in Nigeria. It is studied both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Different schools have specific requirements needed to study public health under them. But every student who wants to study public health in Nigeria must have 5 credit passes in subjects including mathematics, English language, biology, and chemistry in no more than two sittings in WAEC, NECO examinations, or its equivalent,
We hope you found this article on ”How to study public health in Nigeria” helpful.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It takes 4 to 5 years to study public health. Its duration depends solely on the school and class loads.
The subjects under public health are Environmental public health, Drug Education., Primary Health care, Community Health Education, Reproductive and Family Health., Safety Health Education, Community Health, and Tropical Public Health.
Yes, public health is a good course to study in Nigeria. It is one of the most comprehensive, vital, and lucrative professions in the Nigerian medical sector.
The requirements to study public health in Nigeria are credits in mathematics, English Language, and three applicable science-related subjects like physics, biology, and chemistry at the senior secondary certificate examinations (SSCE) or its alternative at not more than two sittings.
Reference
- https://worldstudentforum.com/how-to-study-public-health-in-nigeria/
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_health – Public Health definition
- https://www.apha.org/what-is-public-health
- https://nigerianfinder.com/public-health-courses-in-nigeria/
- https://nigerianfinder.com/public-health-courses-in-nigeria/