Injecting drug use and incarceration are closely linked; many injecting drug users (IDUs) pass through the correctional system because of drug-related offences. As IDUs are at a greater risk of HIV infection, this group is often more likely to be infected with HIV than other incarcerated populations. In the absence of HIV preventative measures in prisons, this can pose a greater risk of HIV transmission among inmates.
HIV transmission in prison:
“Prison conditions are often ideal breeding grounds for onward transmission of HIV infection. They are frequently overcrowded. They commonly operate in an atmosphere of violence and fear. Tensions abound, including sexual tensions. Release from these tensions, and from the boredom of prison life, is often found in the consumption of drugs or in sex.” UNAIDS
Sexual transmission
Tattooing
Violence
Education
Harm reduction programmes
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Condom distribution
HIV testing in prisons
New WHO guidelines call for an integrated approach to TB and HIV programming
Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) Program, Pokhara University
Pokhara University was established with enactment of the Pokhara University Act 2053 BS and Pokhara University regulation 2055 BS with the mandate to produce high level human resources in different disciplines in partnership with the private sectors.
Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) is a four year program of Pokhara University under Faculty of Science and Technology. This program aims to fulfill the gaps of middle level public health practitioners in Nepal. The major goal of the program is to produce public health graduates of highest academic, technical and practical skill. The objective of the BPH program is to produce competent and need based public health graduates.
Bachelor of public health program of Pokhara University is rightly designed to produce middle level public health practitioners who can competently take of the public health actions. In this light, introduction and implementation of quality public health education has become a principal motto of this program, which envisioned to contribute in achieving the target of national health development.
Objectives
The course of BPH is designed to achieve the following objectives, to:
- Develop the knowledge and skills in applied public health sciences, laboratory works on applied health actions.
- Introduce and enhance the knowledge and practical skills in public health, primary health, health systems development, health economics, nutrition and environmental health.
- Train and develop the skills on epidemiological aspects of diseases and health system.
- Develop skills in designing, analyzing and evaluating applied public health research and management.
- Enhance the knowledge and practical skills in dealing with human resource development and existing issues in public health management.
- Develop the research and scientific writing skills through the introduction of research methods term paper and thesis.
- Ensure the skillful, practical and leading human resources through the community diagnosis and comprehensive field practices.
- Develop the extracurricular competencies through training and seminar.
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 three fold 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 number 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/Research)
- Health Organizations (Public/NGO/Private)
- Health related Consultancy Agencies
- Self-entrepreneurship
Course Structure
The 4-year program leading to Bachelor of Public Health degree consists of a total of fifty-two courses divided into six standards, namely Basic Health Sciences, Public Health Sciences, Public Health Intervention, Public Health Tools/Methods, Public Health Management, and Public Health Laboratory/Community Skill Development Courses.
Curriculum
First Semester
- Introduction to Public Health-I
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Professional English
- Anatomy and Physiology Lab
- Biochemistry Lab
- Microbiology and Immunology Lab
- Professional English Practical
Second Semester
- Environmental Science
- First Aid
- First Aid Lab
- Nutritional Science
- Parasitology and Entomology
- Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Environmental Science Lab
- Nutritional Science Lab
- Parasitology and Entomology Lab
- Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology Lab
Third Semester
- Communicable Diseases
- Environmental Health
- Non-communicable Diseases
- Public Health Nutrition
- Reproductive Health and Demography
- Integrated Concurrent Field Practice I
Fourth Semester
- Basic Epidemiology
- Introduction to Public Health-II
- Public Health Behavior and Anthropology
- Maternal, Child and Elderly Health
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Integrated Concurrent Field Practice II
Fifth Semester
- Basic Public Health Management
- Health Promotion and Education
- Epidemiological Methods and Management
- Public Health Sociology and Social Psychology
- Public Health Statistics-I
- Integrated Concurrent
- Field Practice III
Sixth Semester
- Community Health Diagnosis and Program Implementation Strategies
- Public Health Statistics-II
- Health System Management in Nepal-I
- Health Finance and Health Economics Including Entrepreneurship
- Health Education Communication
- Residential Field Practice (Community Health Diagnosis)
Seventh Semester
- Health Research Methodology
- Human Resource Development and Management
- Health Monitoring and Evaluation
- Health System Management in Nepal-II
- Residential Field Practice (Comprehensive Health Management)
Eighth Semester
- Disaster Management
- Public Health Policies, Laws and Acts
- Journal Club/Health Seminar
- Public Health Dissertation
Constituent Schools and affiliated Colleges
- School of Health and Allied Sciences
- CIST College
- LA GRANDE International College
- National Open College
- Nobel College
- Modern Technical College
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
Leprosy and Nepal
Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease, still remains a threat in 14 districts even two years after the government declared that the disease is eliminated from the country. The government had declared the elimination of leprosy on 19 January 2010 following the decline of the cases to 0.89 per 10,000 populations. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers a disease is eliminated in a country once the number of cases drops to less than one instance per 10,000 people. At the end of the fiscal year 2010/11, the prevalence of the disease is 0.79. But, according to a government data, the disease is still found in 1 percent or more per 10,000 people in Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Dhanusa, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Mahottari, Bara, Parsa, Chitwan, Rupandehi, Banke, Bardiya and Kailali districts. Also, there are around 2,210 persons under medication of the leprosy at present. “Now we are on the verge of eradicating the disease,” said Chudamani Lamichhane, director at the Leprosy Control Division, adding that Nepal can declare itself a leprosy free country once the status of the 14 districts is balanced. He also informed that the government provides free health services and Rs 1,000 transportation allowance to leprosy patients and from this fiscal year an additional amount of Rs 1,000 will also be provided to those with complicated cases. Despite many achievements, the major challenge for the government is to continue the regular services and run social rehabilitation programme for the patients, he added. “The government has just launched an income generation programme in the 19 districts but no other programme has so far been implemented,” Lamichhane said. “Leprosy is a curable disease and people should not hide it. They should instead participate in the government programme and get rid of the disease.” The government has allocated Rs 40 million in 2011/12 for the leprosy programme.
UN Sustainable Development Goals – Courses (Free)
UN Sustainable Development Goals – Courses (Free): Adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals with 169 targets that the UN is committed to working towards through the year 2023 with the hope of creating lasting positive change and freedom in the general areas of People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership. The purpose of these goals is to create a framework for development programs that will focus on eradicating poverty, hunger, violence, fear, and disease and promoting literacy, equality, human rights, sanitation and hygiene, education, and physical, mental, and social well-being. These goals are meant to build on the Millennium Development Goals and work towards the three key areas the UN identifies for sustainability, which are economic, social, and environmental development.
The SDG Initiative
In addition to the implementation of the SDGs, 17 various universities have worked to create an initiative to educate learners about the SDGs and how they can contribute to achieving them. Coursera is the primary platform where these courses are offered for the general public in the form of online classes with the hope of increasing participation in the work being done towards these goals. The courses often provide a hands-on experience with an NGO or international organization who is working to achieve the SDGs through their work. The participating universities hope to offer a global education on these goals and ways to get involved.
The SDGs and Courses Offered
The SDGs are 17 goals with a total of 169 targets among them, most of which are meant to be achieved by 2030. These goals strive to work towards sustainable economic, social, and environmental development on a global scale. You can read in-depth reports about these goals and the progress being made towards achieving them at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org. Courses offered through the SDG initiative cover one or more of the goals through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
Good health and well-being (Goal 3)
- Goal 3—Good health and well-being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Through this goal, the hope is to significantly reduce the maternal mortality rate, end preventable deaths for newborns and children under five years of age, and end the disease epidemics for AIDs, malaria, tuberculosis, tropical diseases, hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases. It also strives to reduce premature mortality from communicable diseases, strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse, and halve the number of deaths and injuries from traffic accidents. This goal also focuses on promoting global access to sexual and reproductive health services, achieving universal health coverage, and reducing the number of deaths from hazardous chemicals in air, water, and soil.
Available MOOCs on SDG 3:
- Leiden University (SDG Partner Project)
De-mystifying Mindfulness
PROJECT You are challenged to create a real life project to spread the awareness of Mindfulness. The course works in collaboration with the Oxford Mindfulness centre, and project examples include the Mindful Garden by Leiden University’s Centre for Innovation together with local The Hague partner - Other courses available:
- University of Cape Town: Organ Donation: From Death to Life
- University of Copenhagen: Diabetes – the Essential Facts; An introduction to Global Health
- University of Geneva: Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface; Ebola: vaincre ensemble!; In the footsteps of Zika…approaching the unknown; Global Health: an interdisciplinary overview
- Leiden University: Anatomy of the Stomach and Pelvis; Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation
- University of Manchester: Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 1: Understanding Complex Problems; Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 2: Developing Effective Interventions
- Utrecht University: Ebola: Essential Knowledge for Healthcare professionals
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