First and foremost, this is an opportunity to set the record straight regarding those who are best equipped to protect or provide the scientific and policy solutions to this type of problem; the Ebola Virus (EBV) outbreak is a public health crisis that requires public health professionals and not just physicians. As is quite obvious now to everyone, even the physicians cannot perform any miracle to reverse or cure this disease with no presently known therapies-regardless of the lingering strike action by Nigeria physicians.
Even if drugs or other treatment existed, it remains a public health problem for public health professionals in general because public health is mostly about preventing diseases before they occur, while physicians diagnose and treat afflicted persons with known remedies. Furthermore, Public health deals with the general public while Medicine is individualized. I am sure not alone in observing that in Nigeria in particular, physicians are usually portrayed as the only professionals with solutions to all health-related problems; or at least some of them, including the media make the public believe that.
HEALTH PERSONNEL IN PROTECTIVE KITS AT THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY (12/8/14).
HEALTH PERSONNEL IN PROTECTIVE KITS AT THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY (12/8/14).
The point to drive home here is that Public health is bigger than Medicine! While the role of physicians in the health care delivery system is not to be marginalized by any means, they are not all trained in non-clinical aspects of health care.
In fact, in most technologically advanced countries of the world, Physicians must pursue further graduate studies in public health after their medical degrees to be deemed competent enough to manage public health care delivery systems such as hospitals, health departments or ministries etc. What this EBV episode has revealed is the need for governments in Africa and Nigeria in particular to embrace and invest in public health (or Community health) in the area of training, research and policy.
A quick glance at the academic disciplines in Nigerian University Commission’s website for example shows that only very few universities offer public health programs; and the few Community health programs in some of the major medical schools don’t offer Bachelor degrees.
How many Nigerians or West Africans in the Ebola-affected countries are presently trained at the undergraduate or graduate levels in Epidemiology, Environmental Health Science (not Environmental Science), Health Policy and Administration, Socio-medical Sciences or General Public health to address this major public health crisis we now face? In fact, this is a clarion call for the African Union to consider it a matter of urgency to set up a Center for Disease Control and Prevention for the entire African Continent to work collaboratively with the respective ministries of health and/or existing local centers for disease control and prevention in all African countries or regions.
Moving forward, Nigeria and other African countries and their respective health ministries must reinvigorate the public health component of their ministries by investing in capacity building through expansion and/creation of undergraduate and graduate programs in public health at all levels, including the needed physical infrastructure.
Isoken Tito Aighewi PhD, MPH, is a Professor of Environmental Science/Health and former President of Environmental Health Academic Programs (AEHAP) in the United States. Email: itjaigh@gmail.com
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