Ministry of Local Government &

Rural Development

WASH STAKEHOLDERS WORKSHOP

HUMAN RESOURCES GAPS STUDY IN THE WASH SECTOR

28TH JUNE, 2012ERATA HOTEL, ACCRA

Environmental Health

& Sanitation Directorate

REPUBLIC OF GHANA

OUTLINE

Introduction Basic Training (SOH) Staff & Student Population Post Basic Training Current Staff Strength In-service Training (Workshops,

Seminars) Challenges Way Forward

TRAINING INSTITUTIONS

3 SOH – Accra, Ho & Tamale To train EHO/As to perform duties relating

to Environmental Health in MMDAs and for Private sector.

Understand basic principles of sanitation and apply them in their routine work.

Detect nuisances and call for abatement Educate communities and promote health

BASIC TRAINING (CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA)

Technical skills supervise the collection and disposal of wastes

(solid, liquid industrial, clinical and other hazardous wastes)

supervise the construction, operation and maintenance of simple sanitation facilities

Analyse public health consequence of various human activities to ensure sound judgement during inspection

identify unwholesome food and meat and the requirements for achieving food and meat hygiene

give expert advice on environmental health and management issues in MMDAs

BASIC TRAINING (CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA)

Social Marketing and Community Mobilisation Skills

effectively mobilise communities to fully participate environmental sanitation development projects

ensure the effectiveness of environmental sanitation education programmes in bringing about behavioural change

Analytical and Logical Thinking Skills appreciate the relevance of environmental and public

health legislation and enforcement interpret and apply environmental legislation

BASIC TRAINING (CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA)

Planning and Budgeting skills ensure proper planning of environmental services within

the limits of available fundsAdministrative and Managerial skills maintain an efficient management information system organise available human and other resources to pursue

plansEffective Communication and Lobbying Skills defend Action Plans and demand appropriate funds for

environmental health and management services; manage and penetrate political influence and

interference to achieve results

STAFFING (Schools)

CATEGORY NO. AT POST

NO. NEEDED

GAP

ACCRA (1953) 14 (8) 14 -

HO (1975) 10 (9) 11 1

TAMALE (1952/1964) 10 (2/8) 15 5

STUDENT POPULATION

SCHOOL 1ST YEAR 2ND YEAR 3RD YEAR TOTAL

ACCRA 16 41 34 91

HO 93 91 - 184

TAMALE 100 120 - 220

TOTAL 209 242 34 495

POST BASIC TRAINING

70’s few higher courses for Environmental Health Officers in Ghana.

Food and Meat Hygiene (Great Britain) - 4 Tutors course in Ibadan university (Nigeria) -

10 Community Health and Tropical Medicine –

(Sierra Leone) Those who managed to gain admission to

other universities outside the country had problems with sponsorship.

POST BASIC TRAINING

1985 with the support of the WHO in collaboration with the MoH and KNUST, the Environmental Health Technology (Diploma) course was introduced.

Unfortunately, When the WHO withdrew their sponsorship in 1995 the programme ‘died’ out.

This programme was to train middle level Officers to bridge the gap between the Public Health Engineer and the Environmental Health Officer.

POST BASIC TRAINING Due to the inadequacy of Public Health Engineers

the Environmental Health Technologist was to head the Waste Management Departments (Environmental Sanitation Policy).

1989 - UCC introduced the Health Science Education (Diploma) programme (in place of the Ibadan programme) to train tutors for the Schools of Hygiene locally.

Those who had the EHT from KNUST offered the one year PGCE (Health Science).

Currently, the BEd. Health Science Education is in progress.

UG

BSc. Public HealthBSc. Environmental ScienceBSc. NutritionMSc. Public Health

MSc. Environmental Science

UCC

Water & Sanitation (Diploma/Degree)

BEd. Health Sciences

BSc/MSc/Mphil Environmental Science

MA Environmental Management & Policy

KNUST

BSc./ MSc. /MPhil Environmental Science

MSc. Health Promotion

UDS

BSc. Nutrition

BSc. Environmental Science & Biology

MSc. Community Health & Development

UEW (Mampong Campus)

Environmental Health & Sanitation Education

Sandwich/Full Time

Diploma/Degree

PUC (Akropong Campus)

Environment & Natural Resource Management

Catholic University College

BSc. Public Health

Full Time/Weekend

ILGS

Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management (8 Modules)

MA Environmental Science & Policy(Weekend)

GIMPA

Post Graduate CUM

Occupational Health & Safety – Certificate, Diploma

and Post Diploma

STAFF SITUATION

CATEGORY TOTAL

Public Health Engineers 6

Environmental Health Technologists 53

Environmental Health Officers 510

Environmental Health Assistants 2,553

TOTAL 3,122

INSERVICE TRAINING (WORKSHOPS/SEMINARS)

Environmental Health Inspections Health Promotion Environmental Health Prosecutions Management of Landfills in Ghana Management of Veterinary and Bio-medical

waste Provision, Operation and Maintenance of

Public Toilets Monitoring of Environmental Sanitation

Services in Ghana

Tailor Made Courses

EHO - jack of all trade and master of none Post Basic training should address competency

gaps and specialisation identified in the Environmental Sanitation Policy

Solid Waste Management including Hazardous Waste

Municipal Wastewater Management Environmental Sanitation Education

(Classroom/Community education) Public Health Law Food Hygiene/Meat Inspection

Tailor Made Courses

Rodent and Vector Control International Health/Port Health Disaster Management Industrial Hygiene Occupational Health Monitoring & Evaluation

Challenges The key challenge in the area of capacity

development (human resource) relate to inadequate professional manpower

(engineers, planners and administrators, for planning, management, policy formulation and research)

REVIEW OF SCHEME OF SERVICE Attract talents into the Environmental

Health and Sanitation Class

RECRUITMENT/SALARY

Engineers - forty (40) Environmental Health Officers – 81 Environmental Health Assistants - 706 Waiting for financial clearance to

commence the recruitment and posting process.

Salaries lower than other health counterparts

THE WAY FORWARD

WAHO Harmonising curricular of environmental

health within the ECOWAS community both Francophone and Anglophone.

Upgrade Schools of Hygiene to tertiary institutions to offer BSc. and HND in Environmental Health

Admission requirements of SOH reviewed

THE WAY FORWARD The Allied Health Science Professional

bill in which Env. Health is included is at the draft stage.

Establishment of West African College of Allied Health Science.

Thank You for Listening