Community-based service, education is vital knowledge for MPH students–Don

Abiodun Akinwumi 2025-01-28 0

The Director of, the Institute of Medical Research and Training of the University of Ilorin Prof. Akeem Bolarinwa, has said that community-based service and education is vital knowledge for MPH students of the University of Ilorin.

Bolarinwa stated this in Ilorin, during the MPH Field Posting Report Presentation, 2025 of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health of the University.

He explained that the programme is as old as this university itself, and the department is one of the very first to offer postgraduate degrees in the faculty of Clinical Sciences.

Bolarinwa who is also the Field Posting Coordinator for the MPH programme described the program as unique in Nigeria.

He added that it offers a multidisciplinary approach to the Master’s Degree program in Public Health for nurses, doctors, and others who contribute to public health.

“We’re also one of the few, if not the only one in the country, who would ensure that these students in the master’s degree program go to the community and have community experience. 

“Our faculty and college is designated as the World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative center for community-based services and education. 

Bolarinwa explained that MPH students are posted in communities for a period of three months, where they carry out diagnosis.

“They diagnose the whole community in terms of their health needs. They recognize their health challenges and gaps, and then they use the skills that they’ve learned in the class to institute, intervention within this community. 

“They also carry out other activities by engaging community stakeholders in health, the Non-Governmental Organizations, the Community-Based Organisations, the Voluntary Care Units in the community such that, they can garner the stakeholders in the community to, effect, some changes and effect some projects in the community.

He added that communities relate well with the students as they house them, interact with them while they are there, and gain trust with each other.

He stated that the students also leave community projects behind while mobilizing and encouraging the community to participate in whatever they do. 

According to him, the program teaches them a lot of skills and knowledge about how to engage the community.

 He pointed out that the programme has also placed the department and University in an international space.

Also speaking, Prof. Abdulraheem Ibrahim, the Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health of the University observed that the programme is laudable.

He explained that MPH students are acquainted with the health needs and challenges of communities.

Ibrahim said the students were able to see the reality of life and not just learn in classrooms, and they were able to intervene and assist the communities.

He appealed to the Federal Government to support health programmes, because it’s a social service that requires intervention for the less privileged, especially health insurance.

The HOD commended the Kwara government in its efforts on health, however appealed for engaging medical officers across each PHC across the 16 LGAs.

In their presentation, the students who were posted to three communities; Asa, Moro, and Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara, provided drugs and engaged in sanitation and repair of boreholes in their respective postings.

Mr. Ahmed Abubakar, the Deputy Director of OHC, Ilorin South Local Government Area commended the students for their humanitarian intervention in the community.

Also Mr. AbdulRazaq Jimoh, a staff at Ago-Aiyekale PHC, Ifedapo,. Ilorin South also praised the MPH students for coming to aid the community in terms of health and social services.