Duties of Health Assistants

(Environmental Health Assistants)

By
Ilukor Geresom
School of Hygiene-Mbale
 Duties of Health Assistants
• The following are the duties of a Health Assistant:
1.Health Assistants will be the Ministry of Health grassroot
workers and will take an active part in all activities introduced
by the ministry in an endeavour to improve general health
conditions of the communities entrusted upon them.
2.Health Assistants are responsible for taking all the
measures necessary to remedy the environmental health
nuisances in their respective areas of jurisdiction and in
consultation with health inspectors in charge of areas, shall
ensure that the Public Health Act and all regulation, and all
bye laws made thereunder are implemented.
3-PHLA Lectures: Duties of a Health Assistant. By: Ilukor
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Geresom,School of Hygiene-Mbale
 Duties of Health Assistants (Cont.)
3. They will regularly inspect their areas of jurisdiction and take all the
necessary measures to:
i. Protect or assist in the protection and improvement of water
sources.
ii. Ensure through liaison with the Health Inspector in the area, that
all markets, food and drinking premises are clean, tidy and free
from conditions that encourage the outbreak of food poisoning.
iii. Achieve ideal conditions in all their rural areas by strictly abiding
by the requirement of the home and environment improvement
programme or any scheme of similar nature that may be
introduced from time to time.
iv. Supervise public health activities in all possible methods
necessary for the effective collection, removal and final disposal of
refuse, waste faecal matter, and the dead.

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Geresom,School of Hygiene-Mbale
 Duties of Health Assistants (Cont.)
4. They will search for vectors of diseases (Insects and rodents)
and advise on steps necessary for the destruction and eventual
control.
5. They will take all measures necessary to stop the spread of any
infectious diseases in their of jurisdiction and in this way they
will;
i. Inspect individual premises, search for cases of infectious
diseases, investigate sources of infection, direct their
removal for effective treatment and take all the measures
necessary to combat the infection.
ii. Assist in setting up isolation units until all appropriate
measures are taken to remove the patients to hospital or other
suitable place.
iii. Report the infection to higher authorities for more
appropriate measures and action.
3-PHLA Lectures: Duties of a Health Assistant. By: Ilukor
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Geresom,School of Hygiene-Mbale
 Duties of Health Assistants (cont.)
iv. Assist in the disinfection and disinfestation of
premises or articles after the occurrence of an
infectious disease or as conditions shall dictate.
v. Be responsible for the organization of the community
for effective and efficient immunization against
immunisable diseases.
vi. Be responsible for the dissemination of health
information to the public in their areas of jurisdiction.
6. Inspect all institutional premises:-Schools, prisons and
similar premises and take an active part in the dissemination
of health information to the inmates and advise on measures
necessary to keep the ideal environmental health conditions.
•

3-PHLA Lectures: Duties of a Health Assistant. By: Ilukor

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Geresom,School of Hygiene-Mbale
 Duties of Health Assistants (cont.)
7. At the beginning of each month they will draw up
programmes of their proposed activities to their
supervisors, copied to Administrative officers of their areas
of jurisdiction and within the prescribed period.
• At the end of each month they submit the reports to their
respective immediate supervisors, giving copies to their
areas Administrators.

3-PHLA Lectures: Duties of a Health Assistant. By: Ilukor

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Geresom,School of Hygiene-Mbale
Take home exercise:
Question.
• Explain ten (10) duties of Health Assistants.

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Geresom,School of Hygiene-Mbale
 End

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Geresom,School of Hygiene-Mbale