School of public health

The project will be implemented by the Government of Zaire"s (GOZ) Department of Higher Education and Scientific Research through UNIKIN. The SPH, to be established initially as part of UNIKIN"s Department of Public Health, will by 12/31/88 be an independent entity graduating 30 physicians and other health professionals a year from a 1-year Certificate of Public Health Program (equivalent to a U.S. Master"s degree). The SPH will also provide short-term training to about 60 persons a year (including GOH health personnel and potential SPH faculty) and will offer undergraduate courses to students in UNIKIN schools of medicine, nursing, and pharmacy. An undergraduate degree in public health (PH) will probably be offered as well, beginning in year 5 or 6. SPH training will emphasize primary/community health care needs and program administration as well as the traditional PH sciences. The SPH will become a center for conducting applied research to serve the policy and planning needs of Zaire"s PH agencies. In cooperation with the GOZ Department of Public Health (Ministry), the SPH will establish two field training/applied research sites - one in the city of Kinshasa and another in a rural area outside it. Certificate students will spend at least 10% of their time in field work at these sites. In addition, SPH faculty will conduct applied and operations research throughout Zaire in cooperation with PH agencies. The SPH will also provide consultation on PH matters, information dissemination through conferences and publications, and other services, insofar as these do not conflict with its primary roles in education and research. Faculty - now comprising the 4 members of UNIKIN"s Department of Public Health - will be expanded to the equivalent of 21 full-time persons. The project will fund U.S. doctoral training for at least 6 faculty as well as 123 person-months of third-country short-term training. A U.S. School of Public Health will provide interim faculty and assist in curriculum and materials design and applied research and in establishing a library, a laboratory, and data processing capabilities. An existing UNIKIN building will be renovated to provide a home for the SPH. A growth monitoring component (added 8/87) is described under Subproject 01.