THE ROLES OF THE MEDICAL OFFICERS OF HEALTH IN CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC HEALTH

PRACTICE

ByDr. Adetoun Agbe-Davies

Chairman Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee

Definition of Key Terms

• ‘Role’ – the part to play, the function• ‘Contemporary’ – occurring or existing at the

same time• ‘Public’ – relating to the people as a whole• ‘Medical Officer of Health’ – a public health

physician of a health department of a local government who advises and leads a team of health officials on matters of public health importance

Where We Are Coming From?

• Historical Perspectives• Communicable Diseases Control• MCH (+Domiciliary Services)• School Health• Immunisation• Health Education (+Health Museum)• Vaccination for International Travel• Port Health Services

Where We Are Coming From?

• Registration of Births and Deaths• Transportation of Corpses• Environmental Health – water, sanitation• Flood Control – tide gates, bounds• Control of Desert Encroachment• Waste Management +human waste• Food Control• Enforcement & Prosecution Public Health Laws

Where We Are Coming From?

• Health & Disease Surveillance• Public Health Policy• Building Plan Approval and Control• Advise Health Promotion& Disease Prevention• Social Welfare• Leadership in Public Health Emergencies• Training Health Workers• Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health

Where We Are Now?

Historical roles plus:• Non-Communicable Disease Control• Mental Health• Occupational Health• Health Communication

Where We Are Now?

• Community Mobilisation• Nutrition• Adolescent Health• Monitoring and Evaluation• Investigation & Control of Epidemics

Where Have The Roles Led Us?

• Tackled Bubonic Plague, Yaws, Smallpox• Faced Syphilis• Flood Tide Gates and Bounds• Eliminated Pail System• Fought Yellow Fever, Meningitis, Lassa Fever

outbreaks• Polio Eradication Initiatives etc• Fought Ebola

Where Have The Roles Led Us?

• Have we done enough?• Are we doing enough?• Is it yet Uhuru?• Is it a statement of Ebenezer?

QUO VADIS?

• Newly Emerging Diseases• Re-emerging or Resurging Diseases• Deliberately Emerging Diseases• Global Health• Sustainable Health Financing• HMISs• Emergency PreparednessThe New Challenges!

QUO VADIS?

• The Leader, the Manager• The Planner• The M & E Officer• The Communicator• The Bridge Builder – with sectors, stakeholders,

CSOs• The Referral System• The Annual Report of the MOHMOH Capacities for these?

MOH COMPETENCIES

Minimum Competencies need to be set!• Basic Medical Degree – clinical competence• MPH, MSc, DrPH, FMCPH, FWACPH, PHD?• Training and Retraining• Personal Development• Navigating Political Waters• Managing inter cadre Conflicts and Politics• Needs to Specialise Further?

CONCLUSION

• Monitor & assess health of community• Planning, implementation & evaluation• Team leader• Team Manager• Communicator• Competencies• Continuous training• Specialisation

Thank you!