Bachelor of Environmental Health

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to develop learners who would meet the minimum requirements for accreditation and registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as Environmental Health Practitioners. The qualifying learner will be able to perform and integrate laboratory tests with epidemiological conditions and operate in compliance with statutory requirements in terms of ethics, safety and quality assurance. Supervisory, management and research skills are developed after registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). EHP's will be qualified to work in both public and private sectors. The course content is designed with both horizontal and vertical cross linking between the subject contents for each year in succession. i.e. Professional Practice, Sociology and Sustainable Development, address the human interaction with the physical environment (Subjects: Mathematics, Physics, Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology). This two-pronged (Human and Natural Sciences) approach in the programme design runs as a golden thread through the subject content of the B Environmental Health Degree and is based on the outcomes of the training needed for EHP's.

Learners satisfying the requirements for this qualification will be able to register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as Environmental Health Practitioners functioning as independent practitioners. The Environmental Health Practitioner will be able to implement the principles of risk assessment and management in order to improve the health of the community and contribute to sustainable development. They will be able to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of control measures in order to make necessary improvements. In addition they will be able to apply research skills and interpret and apply legislation, regulations and policies related to environmental health and to advise/educate role players on specific issues. The Environmental Health Practitioner will function as a member of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals in accordance with the scope of profession. As such this person will be able to communicate effectively, foster entrepreneurship, uphold professional and environmental health ethics and manage human, financial and physical resources within the scope of profession.

Rationale

Environmental Health comprises those aspects of human health, including the quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social, socio-economic and psycho-social factors in the environment. It also refers to the theory and practice of ascertaining, correcting, controlling, minimising and preventing those factors in the environment that can potentially and adversely affect the health of present and future generations. Changing norms and standards compounded by traditional and emerging challenges, both nationally and internationally, require a new cadre of professionals competent to deal with the complexity of environmental and public health issues, to be registered at NQF Level 8. The Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP), functioning as an independent practitioner, will further give credence to the right of individuals to an environment that is conducive to health and well-being as contained in the Constitution of South Africa.

This Degree programme will serve a national need to train a specific niche of professional preventative health care officials capable of dealing with new and emerging environmental and public health issues in a communal environment. Based on their advanced knowledge and skills specific to the field of study, as well as research capabilities these environmental health professionals will be able to contribute significantly to the growing complexity of environmental health related problems in both the public and private sectors, nationally and internationally. The Environmental Health profession is practiced internationally and is listed as a scarce skill by the Department of Labour in South Africa.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning is subject to policies of the University. This qualification may be achieved in part through the recognition of relevant prior learning and through prior experience as a practitioner in the field of Environmental Health.

The University has developed structured means for the assessment of individual learners against the exit level outcomes of the qualification on a case-by-case basis. Such procedures, and the assessment of individual cases, are subject to moderation by independent-assessors. The necessary evidence as required by the exit level outcomes, and presented by the learner, should meet the following principles: currency of evidence, sufficiency of evidence, validity of evidence and authenticity of evidence.

Entry Requirements

Admission requirement for the qualification is as follows

• Senior Certificate (SC).

Or

• National Senior Certificate with endorsement for Bachelor Degree studies.

Or

• National Certificate Vocational at NQF Level 4 with endorsement for Bachelor Degree studies.

Or

• Equivalent qualification at NQF Level 4.

This qualification comprises compulsory modules at NQF levels 5, 6, 7 & 8, totalling 480 Credits.

Level 5, totalling 120 Credits

• Anatomy and Physiology I, 15 Credits.
• Chemistry I, 15 Credits.
• Sustainable Development I, 15 Credits.
• Mathematics I, 15 Credits.
• Microbiology I, 15 Credits.
• Physics I, 15 Credits.
• Sociology I, 15 Credits.

Level 6, totalling 120 Credits

• Community Development II, 13 Credits.
• Environmental Administration I, 15 Credits.
• Epidemiology I: Infectious Disease, 15 Credits.
• Food and Meat Hygiene I, 15 Credits.
• Occupational Health and Safety Assessment I, 15 Credits.
• Planning for the Built Environment I, 12 Credits.
• Environmental Pollution Assessment I, 15 Credits.
• Professional Practice II, 20 Credits.

Level 7, totalling 120 Credits

• Environmental Health Administration II, 15 Credits.
• Environmental Toxicology II, 10 Credits.
• Epidemiology II: Environment, 15 Credits.
• Food Processing and Safety II, 15 Credits.
• Occupational Health and Safety Control II, 15 Credits.
• Environmental Pollution Control II, 20 Credits.
• Research Methodology I, 15 Credits.
• Professional Practice III, 15 Credits.

Level 8, totalling 120 Credits

• Applied Epidemiology III, 10 Credits.
• Disaster Management I, 15 Credits.
• Food Quality and Safety Management III, 15 Credits.
• Management Practice III, 15 Credits.
• Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems III, 15 Credits.
• Environmental Pollution Management and Remediation III, 15 Credits.
• Professional Practice and Research Project IV, 35 Credits.

1. Manage environmental health risks within natural, socio-economic, built and working environments within the scope of the profession.
2. Manage environmental health promotion programmes (design, develop, implement and evaluate).
3. Manage environmental health services (Financial, human, physical resources, as well as the planning, control and utilization thereof).
4. Conduct and participate in environmental health research.
5. Demonstrate interpersonal relations and professional behaviour in terms of the ethical code.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Health risks and their impact within the environmental health field are assessed.
• Health risks in accordance with relevant legislation and best practice are recognised.
• Course of action is decided upon in accordance with relevant legislation and best practice.
• Intervention measures for the identified environmental health risk are evaluated to determine corrective actions.
• Effectiveness of the comprehensive risk management plan is monitored and reviewed.
• Findings, recommendations and requirements are reported in an acceptable format.
• Verification tools are developed to measure and evaluate all elements of the environmental health risk management.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Information of the community is collected by conducting meetings and interviews and by complying to acceptable protocols.
• Principles of health promotion are applied.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Environmental health information system is managed.
• The relevant management norms and standard are applied.
• Relevant electronic/software programmes for environmental health information system management are applied.
• Policies, legislation and guidelines are critically reviewed.
• Policies, legislation and guideline gaps are identified and analysed and recommendations are developed.
• The relationship between health, environment and sustainable development is interpreted.
• Strategies, relevant to the interpreted information are applied.
• Labour relations policies and legislation are explained and applied in context.
• A skills development plan is drawn up.
• Accounts, budgets and financial procedures are controlled in accordance with applicable legislation.
• Project management principles are demonstrated.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Report reflects interpretation, prioritisation and applicability of data completely and accurately.
• All information must lead to a conclusion.
• Research proposal reflects national and international accepted guidelines and ethical norms.
• Research report addresses the identified problem as stated in the proposal.
• Report reflects intervention measures according to the findings of the research.
• Presentation demonstrates the research capability according to institutional guidelines.
• Feedback of research results and recommendations is given to all role players.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• All forms of communication are handled promptly, politely, and professionally.
• Complicated issues and procedures to the level of the target audience are explained.
• Interactions with community groups, NGO's, clients and media are handled using tactful, objective, non-confrontational and culturally sensitive language, incorporating the Batho Pele principles.
• Opportunities for public speaking are sought to broaden the audience on environmental health issues.
• Various public speaking skills are demonstrated by applying a variety of resources and methods.
• Conflict resolution skills are demonstrated.
• Marketing strategies that are tactful, objective, non-confrontational, culturally and linguistically sensitive are demonstrated to articulate the goals, purposes, problems, and needs of environmental health.
• Marketing strategies are evaluated and appropriate remedial actions are taken.
• Protocols for communicating environmental health issues to community members are developed.
• Participatory sessions are planned.
• Systems for the communication of strategies for the delivery of environmental health services are developed and reviewed.
• The requirements for registrations with the HPCSA and professional bodies are fulfilled.

Integrated Assessment

The qualification will comprise formative, practical and summative assessments.

Formative Assessment

• Will enhance learners on learning and to reflect critically on their learning.
• Learners will have the opportunity to reflect critically on their own learning and to improve their own levels of personal accountability and time management.
• Learners will be given projects to complete.
• learners will also have a variety of tasks such as problem-solving individual or group assignments and projects, case studies, portfolio development, class discussions, quizzes, field trip reports and other practical exercises.

Summative Assessment

• Take place at end of section of work/quarter or semester.
• Internally and externally moderated based on institutional policy and requirements.
• Consist of variety of formal assessment tasks: written tests, reports and examination.
• Written assessments in form of written class test and examination and end of academic year/semester.

Integrated assessment often cuts across a number of subjects/modules of a programme and is aimed at the holistic development of learners and contributes to learner's personal and professional development in the field of study in terms of foundational, practical and reflexive competence. Final integrated assessment in this qualification will take place at the end of each year of study and learners will be assessed holistically by means of project reports, a portfolio of evidence and an oral presentation related to the needs and requirements of the environmental industry.