Health extension officers or health extension workers (HEWs), are a category of
health care provider
A health care provider is an individual health professional or a health facility organization licensed to provide health care diagnosis and treatment services including medication, surgery and medical devices. Health care providers often rece ...
s found in some countries including
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
and
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
.
[World Health Organization, Global Health Workforce Alliance]
''Ethiopia's Human Resources for Health Programme.''
Geneva. Accessed 8 November 2011. They usually work in health centres in rural and medically underserved areas, where they see and treat
patient
A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by Health professional, healthcare professionals. The patient is most often Disease, ill or Major trauma, injured and in need of therapy, treatment by a physician, nurse, op ...
s and provide a range of community health services.
Health Extension Officer (HEO): Papua New Guinea by Frank Yagahe
In 1967 the Health Extension (HEO) program was transferred from the Papuan Medical College in Port Moresby to the College of Allied Health Sciences in Madang, formally known as the Paramedical College. In February 2002, the College of Allied Health Sciences amalgamated with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Divine Word University (DWU). It offered a three-year Diploma in Health Sciences (Health Extension) program. The three-year program was extended to four years of study in 2008 for a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Rural Health) award.
The Bachelor of Health Sciences (Rural Health) program is designed to equip students with the most current knowledge, skills, appropriate behaviours and attitudes to deliver an acceptable level of clinical healthcare, public health, administrative and management skills. The emphasis is on rural areas where more than 80% of the nation’s population lives. The medical program places a special emphasis on training healthcare givers who can work with limited resources and often in the most isolated areas.
The HEOs are trained to work in the Rural Health Center. The study program is provided by the DWU. The program focuses on preparation for clinical and administrative practices in the rural areas of Papua New Guinea where health services are at most times neglected. The four-year training program includes theoretical study in medicine, minor surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, health awareness, health research, rural health facility and health project management, etc. Students are trained to manage in hospitals and health centres. The HEOs are responsible for patient care, the administration of the local health centre, and the coordination of community health services in the rural and rugged terrains of PNG.
They are here to serve their country with loyalty and dedication, where there is no doctor.
.
Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, against a backdrop of acute
physician shortage, Health Extension Workers are assigned to local health posts and provide a package of essential interventions to meet population health needs at this level. Through the national Health Extension Program, HEWs are recruited among high school graduates in local communities, and undergo a one-year training program to deliver a package of preventive and basic curative services that fall under four main components: hygiene and environmental sanitation; family health services; disease prevention and control; and health education and communication.
See also
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Clinical associates
Clinical associates are a category of health professional found in South Africa. They assess patients, make diagnoses, prescribe treatment and perform minor surgery under the supervision of a physician.
Registration with the Medical and Dentists B ...
*
Clinical officer
A clinical officer (CO) is a gazetted officer who is qualified and licensed to practice medicine.
In Kenya the basic training for clinical officers starts after high school and takes four or five years ending on successful completion of a one- ...
s
*
Community health worker
A community health worker (CHW) is a member of a community who provides basic health care, health and medical care within their community, and is capable of providing preventive, promotional and rehabilitation care to that community, typically wit ...
s
*
Health workforce
Health human resources (HHR) – also known as human resources for health (HRH) or health workforce – is defined as "all people engaged in actions whose primary intent is to enhance positive health outcomes", according to World Health Organizati ...
*
Physician assistant
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a type of non-physician practitioner. While these job titles are used internationally, there is significant variation in training and scope of practice from country to country, and sometimes be ...
s
References
{{reflist
Health care occupations
Health in Papua New Guinea
Healthcare in Ethiopia