Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) – Faculty of Medical and Allied Science, Purbanchal University

Purpose of the Program

Purbanchal University has initiated bachelor programs in health sciences with the goal of contributing to the improvement of public health service of the country through the production of quality human resources in health sciences needed by the country.

The bachelor of public health program (BPH) aims to prepare professional public health specialists with the highest technical and managerial competence in district level health programs including problem identification, planning, implementing, training, health education and research. Such specialists can serve in various types of positions at national, regional, zonal, district or local levels. They will be needed in various kinds of Governmental or non-Governmental health agencies, hospital, schools and institutions. Other possible area of absorption may involve special responsibilities, e.g. working primarily with school teachers administering health education services, and preparing health workers in public health fields. In general, the graduates of BPH program should be able to carry out the responsibilities designed for the district public health officer.

Career Opportunity

There is growing concern for improvement of health status from all stakeholders within Nepal or in the foreign countries. Provision of equitable access to health care for attainment of an acceptable level of health and better quality of life of the people by creating more equitable distribution of resources is the dominant concern of Nepal today. In many parts of the world scientists are investing themselves in introducing public health interventions that can deal with the lifestyle. However, Nepal is facing threefold burdens of diseases (communicable, lifestyle related and poverty). In order to cope with this complex situation, development of public health graduates has become inescapable. Very few numbers of public health workers are working within Nepal or in the other countries. In general, a BPH graduates can choose following area to build the career:

• University (Education and Research)
• Health Organization
• Nepal Government- Public Health Sector
• Private Health Sector
• Health Center
• Research sector
• Different NGOs & INGOs.
• Local development sector

Objectives of the program

The objective of bachelor of public health [BPH] program is to produce competent graduates with advanced knowledge and practical skill necessary to deliver high quality health services needed for the country. Specifically, the program entails the following objectives;

• Provide advanced knowledge and practical skill to health sciences graduates and with biology.
• Develop required skill in designing, analyzing and evaluating applied public health science research and management.
• Equip public health specialists with communication and group organization skill for promoting community participation in health and development activities ultimately leading to the individual and community self-reliance in health service and improvement in health status of people.
• Enable public health professionals to deal with existing realities in district public health management issues, concern and problems.
• Foster positives attitudes in health professionals and encourage them to provide more accessible and equitable primary health care services for disadvantage groups and communities.
• Develop the leadership capabilities of public health professionals in the management of primary health care and district level public health programs.
• Enhance vocational competence of public health professionals through advanced education in health strategies. Health promotion and health programming.

Competencies to be achieved by the Public Health Graduates

It is envisaged that the professional public health specialists graduated from Purbanchal University should acquire knowledge, skill and attitudes. which will enable them to carry out the following activities.

• View primary Health care in its totality with respect to biological. environmental, socio-economic and cultural factors .and
• Be able to identify and implement promotional, preventive and curative components of public health programs.
• Determine existing community health problems by use of epidemiological investigation and prioritize the problems.
• Apply problem-solving and community participation approach in planning, managing and evaluating programs designed to deal with priority public health problems in appropriate ways to achieve optimum impact from public health programs
• Demonstrate attitudes, which reflect acceptance of, and respect for the important roles of colleagues, sub-ordinate staff and community members such attitudes is expected to enable them to;
  – Provide direction for smooth functioning of a public health team
  – Train, supervise and support existing public health staff.
  – Arrange for intersect oral co-ordination and cooperation
  – Raise awareness among community citizens concerning the existing public health problems.
  – Organize health actions which will address these problems especially bearing in mind the needs of disadvantaged groups and communities.

In view of the above considerations, it is quite evident that a tremendous responsibility has to be borne by a professional public health specialist in order to provide; leadership to the community, to middle level and grass roots health workers in order to bring about health for all.

Duration of the program

The course has been designed for four academic years (Eight Semester) concentrating in general public health courses. There will be concurrent and residential fieldwork during the academic years.

Course Structure:

The program follows the credit system. Each course is assigned a certain number of credits depending generally upon its lecture, tutorial and practical work hours in a week. In theory subjects, one lecture per week is assigned one credit as a general rule. One credit hours of theory is equivalent to 16 hours lecture and one credit hour of practical is equivalent to 32 hours practical.
Total Credit hours: 168 Credit (One Hundred Sixty Eight Credits).

Curriculum Structure

First Year
First Semester

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Pathophysiology, First Aid and Safety
• Biochemistry and Immunology
• Microbiology, Parasitology, Bacteriology & Virology
• Medical Entomology and Rodentology
• Professional English
• Practical Skill Development (Anatomy and Physiology)
• Practical Skill Development (Pathophysiology, First Aid and Safety)
• Practical Skill Development (Biochemistry and Immunology)
• Practical Skill Development (Microbiology, Parasitology, Bacteriology & Virology)
• Practical Skill Development (Medical Entomology and Rodentology)

Second Semester

• Introduction to Public Health
• Basic Epidemiology
• Basic Food and Nutrition
• Biostatistics and Computer Application
• Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Term Paper Presentation (Introduction to Public Health)
• Practical Skill Development (Basic Epidemiology)
• Term Paper Presentation (Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology)
• Practical Skill Development (Basic Food and Nutrition)
• Practical Skill Development (Biostatistics and Computer Application)

Second Year
Third Semester

• Environmental Health and Ecosystem
• Family Health, Maternal and Child Health
• Population Studies and Family Planning
• Fundamentals of Health Education
• Primary Health Care and International Health
• Community Health Organization and Development
• Practical Skill Development (Environmental Health and Ecosystem)
• Family Health Exercise (Family Health, Maternal and Child Health)
• Term Paper Preparation (Population Studies and Family Planning)
• Term Paper Preparation (Primary Health Care and International Health)
• Term Paper (Community Health Organization and Development)

Fourth Semester

• Medical Sociology and Anthropology Theory
• Applied Environmental and Occupational Health Theory
• Applied Epidemiology Theory
• Applied Biostatistics Theory
• Applied Public Health Nutrition Theory
• School Health and Oral Health Theory
• Term Paper Preparation (Medical Sociology and Anthropology)
• Practical Skill Development (Applied Environmental and Occupational Health)
• Term Paper Preparation (Applied Epidemiology)
• Term Paper Preparation (Applied Public Health Nutrition)
• Practical Skill development (School Health and Oral Health)

Third year
Fifth semester

• Reproductive Health and Gender Theory
• Clinical Epidemiology Theory
• Applied Health Education Theory
• Mental Health and Behavioral Science Theory
• Community Health Diagnosis Theory
• Term Paper Preparation (Reproductive Health and Gender)
• Practical Skill Development (Applied Health Education)
• Practical Skill Development (Community Health Diagnosis)

Sixth semester

• Health Service Management in Nepal Theory
• Public Health Administration and Management
• Biodiversity, Climate Change and Health Theory
• Training & Curriculum Development Theory
• Health Economics and Health Financing Theory
• Practical Skill Development (Health Service Management in Nepal)
• Term Paper Preparation (Public Health Administration and Management)
• Practical Skill Development (Training & Curriculum Development)
• Term Paper Preparation (Health Economics and Health Financing)

Fourth year
Seventh semester

• Public Health Research Theory
• Urban Health, Public Health Engineering and Disaster Management
• Logistic Management and Software Application
• Public Health Ethics, Social Health and Professionalism
• Practical Skill Development (Public Health Research)
• Term Paper Preparation (Urban Health, Public Health Engineering and Disaster Management)
• Term Paper Preparation (Public Health Ethics, Social Health and Professionalism)
• Practical Skill Development (Comprehensive Public Health Management Field Practice)

Eighth semester

• National Health Policy and Plan Theory
• Human Resource for Health Theory
• Project Management Theory
• Term Paper Preparation (National Health Policy and Plan)
• Term Paper Preparation (Human Resource for Health)
• Practical Skill Development (Project Management)
• Practical Skill Development (Public Health Research Report)

Recommended Readings

• Syllabus for Bachelor in Public Health (BPH) Common Entrance Examination
• Sample Questions for MEC Common Entrance Examination
• 100 MCQs for Master of Public Health
• Primary Health Care & Nutrition MCQs, Master of Public Health
• Sociology MCQs, Master of Public Health
• Health Management and Health Economics MCQs, Master of Public Health
• Health Education MCQs, Master of Public Health
• Epidemiology MCQs, Master of Public Health
• Environmental & Occupational Health MCQs, Master of Public Health
• Demography MCQs, Master of Public Health
• Research Methodology & Bio-stat MCQs, Master of Public Health

Related courses

• Bachelor of Public Health Program- Karnali Academy of Health Sciences
• Bachelor in Public Health (BPH) Programme- IOM, Tribhuvan University
• Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) colleges in Nepal
• Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) – Faculty of Medical and Allied Science, Purbanchal University
• Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) Program, Pokhara University