The multiple and complex factors that affect the health and wellbeing of communities require a new generation of public health professionals to utilize the robust Public Health strategies to positively change individual health behaviors, motivate organizational/health system changes, initiate pragmatic health policy actions, as well as encourage robust socio-economic empowerment programs to improve health outcomes. With the recent refocus on Primary Health Care (PHC) as the key to reducing the global disease burden and improving the general health conditions of the people, particularly in developing countries, our public health programme provides students the opportunity to  examine environmental issues, access to health care services, health policies, and social and contextual determinants of health and wellbeing.

History of the Department of Public Health

Babcock University is the first University in Nigeria, indeed Africa, and perhaps globally to offer the first Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health. At inception, the Department of Nursing and Community Health was created to offer three major programmes: Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Bachelor of Nursing Science, and Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science. The Bachelor of Laboratory Science was put on hold.  Later, the Department became Department of Health Sciences. Today, it is a standalone Department in the School of Public and Allied Health offering one program: Bachelor of Science in Public Health (since 1999). The Public Health Program has FULL Accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC).

VISION STATEMENT

The department’s vision is to prevent diseases, promote good health and protect life of immediate, extended and world community.

MISSION STATEMENT        

Our Mission as Christian health professionals is to promote and restore health and wholeness to all people through teaching, research and community service.

PHILOSOPHY

Many Health Institutions exist for the sole purpose of promoting good health. The department of Public Health is unique in its approach of health promotion, established on the premise of a divine philosophy of health.

We believe that health began with Christ from the beginning. Health was given to man as a free gift. However, as soon as sin set in, man’s health has continued to be threatened. Man therefore continues to strive to attain optimum health. A combination of the practice of sound health principles and belief in divine intervention promotes optimum health.

We seek to instill these principles in our own students and others through holistic health education to prepare them for the world now and for the future. We are committed to helping man attain a level of health whereby he is socially, mentally, physically and spiritually satisfied.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Our goal is to reflect the overarching mission and goal of the Seventh-day Adventist Philosophy of education as upheld by Babcock University, which traditionally emphasizes the balanced and harmonious development of the whole man in his physical, social and spiritual environment, as specified in the Bulletin. These goal and objectives are expressed within the following domains: Intellectual, Occupational, Aesthetic, Physical, Social and Spiritual.

The specifics of the goals and objectives are clearly stated in the Babcock University Bulletin,. However, each program in the department will achieve the corporate goals of the Institution through its special perspective as a composite of the grand emphasis on ‘Health for All.

VALUES

As we seek to develop high academic and professional competencies in our students, we also desire to integrate Christian values in preparing them as health care professionals, in harmony with our conviction of what Christian education should be, and to appreciate the meaning of the dignity, integrity, value and self-worth of mankind.  Therefore, in developing professional skills in our students, we hold in high esteem the following values:

1.      Magnanimity and Prudence;

2.      Beneficence of God - who provides all resources in Love;

3.      Honesty;

4.      Equity - all are created equal and should be treated with due consideration;

5.      Respect – for the beliefs, values and culture of others;

6.      Dignity of labour - as it is appointed unto us to serve humanity;

7.      Essence of true knowledge - all truth is God’s truth;

8.      Integrity - matching faith with action;

9.      Right attitude; and

10.   Faith - man’s response to receive that which God provides for him.