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Academic Programmes MPH in the field of Rural Health

In its efforts to provide better health care to all people of South Africa, the Rural Health unit of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in cooperation with the School of Public Health, will be offering a postgraduate degree, in the form of a Master of Public Health in the field of Rural Health, to health care workers practising or intending to practise in the rural areas of South Africa and Africa. There is a critical need for health care professionals in rural areas who can take leadership in supporting and developing the health service in these areas, in designing appropriate health system, and in researching and advocating around the health needs of rural people. This field of study is aimed at addressing these needs.

The aims of the qualification are, within the rural context, to:

  • Provide students with the necessary skills to address the health needs of their respective rural communities.

  • Enhance their public health knowledge to manage not only existing conditions but also to promote health and prevent diseases within the communities in which they practise.

  • Enable them to be effective leaders in the health service, manage their resources, develop appropriate programmes, work with communities, and advocate on behalf of rural people.

  • Enable them to monitor the effectiveness of their interventions through research and thus also provide evidence for other rural health care practitioners

Structure:

Students will do the generic first year MPH and then take specific courses in the second year related to the field of study, as well as completing research in the field of rural health. Master of Public Health (Rural Health) Students will awarded a

Master of Public Health (Rural Health), after completing the required core and electives modules as part of their coursework and participating in rural based research. Period of study will be over three to four years.

Admission:

Any of the following may be admitted as a candidate:

1. Medical practitioners, allied health care workers and senior administrators or managers working in the private or public health care sector, with a 4 year professional degree or equivalent, in a health field.

2. A graduate who has been awarded any other degree, the normal curriculum of which extends over not less than four years? full time study, of the University, who in the opinion of the Senate, is sufficiently qualified to undertake the field of study proposed or research (or both), required for the degree or

3. Any other person, who has satisfied the Senate, by means of a written or oral test (or both), or by any other mode of assessment to be determined from time to time by the Senate, that s/he is sufficiently qualified to undertake the field of study proposed or research (or both), required for the degree.

Access:

MPH YEAR 1: Students will register for 6 modules in year 1 of study comprising of 4 core modules, 1 required module prescribed for the field of study in Rural Health and 1 selective from the selectives available to ALL fields of study.

MPH YEAR 2 :In year 2 of study students will be required to register for 6 modules, comprising of 4 core modules, 1 compulsory research module and 1 elective.

Students who are registered for the generic MPH 1 may elect to enter the field of study: Rural health prior to the commencement of year 2. Rural Health Based Research will be done in the 3rd year of study Exit levels:

Exit Qualification
After completion of Part 1 of study Certificate of Competence in Public Health
After completion of Part 11 of study Diploma in Public Health (Rural health)
After completion of Part 111 of study MPH Rural Health (Rural health)

Part 1 Six foundational courses must be completed, as follows: 1. In addition to attending the compulsory Master of Public Health Orientation programme, all MPH candidates are required to complete the following core public health courses: MPH Module Delivery Health and Society School of Public Health Approaches to Population Health School of Public Health Health Measurement I School of Public Health Designing Effective Public Health School of Public Health Programmes 2. Candidates are required to complete two selective courses, the required The Rural Health Care Context prescribed for the Field of Study and 1 

selective from the list below:

Fundamentals of Occupational Hygiene and Hazardous Substances Occupational and Environmental Health Health Measurement II Management in Health and Health Services Health Services Management : Operations Management Health Services Management : Finance and Systems Institutional, Corporate and Hospital Management Resources, Facilities and Logistics

Programme outline:
Part 11 Candidates are required to register for at least four of the modular courses listed in the field of study below, as well as COMH7043 Research Methods, and may choose an additional course from any field of study as approved by Senate. Modular courses within the field of study will be offered on condition that a minimum number of 4 students register for the course.
Field of Rural Health Delivery Core/Elective
The Health of Rural People - Epidemiology and Burden of Disease Rural Health unit Core
Development of rural health services - approaches and strategies Rural Health unit Core
Quality Improvement in Rural Health Care Rural Health unit Core
COMH7043-Research Methods School of Public Health Core
Management of district hospitals Rural Health unit Elective
Community oriented primary care Rural Health unit Elective
COMH792 Health Promotion in Primary Health Care School of Public Health Elective
COMH745-Epidemiology I School of Public Health Elective
COMH795-Mother and Child (MCH) in Health including reproductive health School of Public Health Elective
Part 111 A candidate shall not, unless otherwise permitted by Senate, be admitted to Part 111 until s/he has completed all the requirements for Part 11.
The following course, which shall extend over not less than one academic year of full-time study or two academic years of part-time study is prescribed: Research Report, in the Field of Rural Health, with a weighting of 50 % (40-60 000 words)

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