NATIONAL CERTIFICATES (VOCATIONAL)
SUBJECT GUIDELINES
PUBLIC HEALTH
NQF LEVEL 2
IMPLEMENTATION: JANUARY 2013
Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
INTRODUCTION
A. What is Public Health about?
Public Health is the science and art to promote health and wellness, to prevent and control
disease rather than to cure the overt disease through organised and focused efforts at
international, national, regional and community levels, and empowering individuals to make
informed choices on matters that impact their health and wellness. Beaglehole and Bonita
(2004) define Public Health as “the collective action taken by society to protect and promote
the health of entire populations; in contrast, clinical medicine deals only with the health
problems of individuals. Public Health is broad and inclusive… Epidemiology, with its focus on
the causes of disease at population level and the methods for their control, is the most
important science contributing to public health.”1 This subject aims to equip students with the
basic knowledge of the etiology of the major diseases (infectious and non-infectious) plaguing
South Africa. On completion of this subject, students should be skilled to identify causes of
disease, be able to apply basic principles to prevent further infections towards controlling
disease from spreading, and to report suspicious signs and symptoms, and to encourage
treatment adherence to prevent drug-resistance to treatment, for example treating tuberculosis.
B. Why is Public Health important in the learning programme?
Given the disease profile of South Africa and the pandemics such as tuberculosis and
HIV/AIDS that need to be combated, as well as the particular challenge to empower the
population to make lifestyle choices that impact their health within a resource constraint
situation, Public Health provides the knowledge and understanding that will enable students to
be healthy and productive members of society that can care for themselves, their parents,
siblings, children and the community at large.
C. How do the Learning Outcomes link with the Critical and Developmental Outcomes?
The critical and developmental outcomes are to:
• Identify and solve problems in which responses display that responsible decisions, using
critical and creative thinking, have been made.
• Work effectively with others as members of a team, group, organisation and community.
• Organise and manage oneself and one’s activities, responsibly and effectively.
• Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.
• Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of
oral and/or written presentation.
• Use science and technology effectively and critically showing responsibility to the
environment and others.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the world as set of related systems by recognising that
problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
• Reflect on and explore a variety of strategies to learn more effectively.
• Participate as a responsible citizen in the life of local, national and global communities.
• Be culturally and aesthetically sensitive across a range of social contexts.
• Explore education and career opportunities.
1
nd
nd
Beaglehole, R. and Bonita, R. 2 ed. Public Health at the crossroads. Achievements and Prospects. 2 Edition. 2004.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Department of Higher Education and Training
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Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
D. Which factors contribute to achieving the Learning Outcomes?
• A supportive learning environment.
• Implementing the principles of adult learning
• Activities / strategies that facilitate active student participation
• Creating a teaching environment conducive to learning
• Suitably qualified and experienced lecturers.
• Resources in the teaching setting
• Resources available to the students.
• Exposure to adequate experience within the communities.
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Department of Higher Education and Training
Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
PUBLIC HEALTH – LEVEL 2
CONTENTS
1. DURATION AND TUITION TIME
2. SUBJECT LEVEL FOCUS
3. ASSESSMENT
3.1.
Internal assessment
3.2.
External assessment
4. WEIGHTED VALUES OF TOPICS
5. CALCULATION OF FINAL MARK
6. PASS REQUIREMENTS
7. SUBJECT AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
7.1
Health and wellness
7.2
Community factors that influence health and wellness
7.3
Public health
7.4
Infectious disease
7.5
Non-infectious, chronic disease
8. RESOURCE NEEDS FOR THE TEACHING OF PUBLIC HEALTH LEVEL 2
8.1.
Physical resources
8.2.
Human resources
8.3.
Other resources
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Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
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DURATION AND TUITION TIME
This is a one-year instructional programme comprising 200 teaching and learning hours. The
subject may be offered on a part-time basis provided the student meets all the assessment
requirements. Students with special education needs (LSEN) must be catered for in a way
that eliminates barriers to learning.
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SUBJECT LEVEL FOCUS / EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES
SAQA Qualification ID: 50440
On completion of this level, the student will have the basic knowledge of the principles of
public health (including epidemiology) in order to differentiate between the concepts health,
wellness and the major infectious and non-infectious diseases plaguing South Africa.
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOME 1: Understand the concepts health and wellness and how
factors in the community impact on the health status of the population.
Associated Assessment Criteria:
The concepts health and wellness are defined.
Conditions found in communities that affect their level of health and wellness are described.
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOME 2: Understand the concept public health.
Associated Assessment Criteria:
The concept public health is explained.
EXIT LEVEL OUTCOME 3: Differentiate between infectious and non-infectious
diseases.
Associated Assessment Criteria:
Infectious disease and the principles on how to control infectious diseases are explained.
Non-infectious disease and the principles to control and /or prevent non-infectious diseases
are outlined.
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ASSESSMENT
Information provided in this document on internal and external assessment aims to inform,
assist and guide a lecturer to effectively plan the teaching of the subject.
The Assessment Guidelines accompanying this document provides detailed information to
plan and conduct internal and external assessments.
3.1
Internal assessment (50 percent)
Detailed information regarding internal assessment and moderation is outlined in the current
Internal Continuous Assessment (ICASS) Guideline document provided by the Department
of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
3.2
External assessment (50 percent)
A National examination is conducted annually in October or November by means of a
paper(s) set and moderated externally. A practical component Integrated Summative
Assessment Task (ISAT) will also be assessed as a component of external assessment.
Detailed information regarding external assessment and moderation is outlined in the ‘National
Policy on the Conduct, Administration and Management of the Assessment of the Assessment
of the National Certificate Vocational’, Gazette Number 30287, dated 12 September 2007.
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Department of Higher Education and Training
Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
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WEIGHTED VALUES OF TOPICS
TOPICS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5
Health and wellness
Community factors that influence health and wellness
Public health
Infectious disease
Non-infectious, chronic disease
TOTAL
WEIGHTED VALUE
10
10
20
30
30
100
CALCULATION OF FINAL MARK
Internal assessment mark:
Student’s mark/100 x 50 = a mark out of 50 (a)
External assessment mark:
Student’s mark/100 x 50 = a mark out of 50 (b)
Final mark:
(a) + (b) = a mark out of 100
All marks are systematically processed and accurately recorded to be available as hard copy
evidence for, amongst others, moderation, verification as well as reporting purposes.
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PASS REQUIREMENTS
A student must obtain at least fifty percent (50%) in the ICASS and fifty percent (50%) in the
examination.
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SUBJECT AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completion of the subject, Public Health (Level 2) the student should have covered the
following topics:
7.1
Topic 1: Health and wellness
7.2
Topic 2: Community factors that influence health and wellness
7.3
Topic 3: Public health
7.4
Topic 4: Infectious disease
7.5
Topic 5: Non-infectious, chronic disease
Topic 1: Health and Wellness
Subject Outcome 1.1: Explain the concept “health”.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the concept health, using the World Health Organization (WHO) definition.
•
Indentify the four components of health (range: physical, mental, social, and spiritual).
•
Explain how the four components of health relate to each other.
Subject Outcome 1.2: Differentiate between factors that affect the health of individuals.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
List examples of internal (genetic) risk factors that affect the health status of individuals.
•
List examples of external factors that affect the health of individuals.
•
Differentiate between external and internal factors affecting individual health.
Department of Higher Education and Training
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Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
Subject Outcome 1.3: Explain the concept “wellness”.
Learning outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the concept wellness.
•
Identify the components of wellness (range: physical, mental, financial, family, social, career,
spiritual).
•
Explain each component of wellness.
Subject Outcome 1.4: Differentiate between factors that affect the wellness of people.
Learning outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Identify factors that affect the wellness of people.
•
Describe how these factors affect the wellness of people.
Subject Outcome 1.5: Explain the relationship between health and wellness.
Learning outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Explain the differences between the concepts: health and wellness.
•
Explain the similarities between the concepts: health and wellness.
Topic 2: Community Factors that Influence Health and Wellness
Subject Outcome 2.1: Discuss the relationship between community and individual health
and wellness.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the terms community health and community wellness (range: physical, healthcare
facilities, hygiene, spiritual, socio-economic, and environmental).
•
Explain how individual health and wellness relates to community health and wellness.
Subject Outcome 2.2: Outline conditions that affect the health of communities.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Identify societal risk conditions that affect the health of communities (range: socio-economic
situation, community demographics, drug abuse, access to water and sanitation, crime,
cleanliness, etc.).
•
Describe how the socio-economic situation of a community influences the health of that
community.
Subject Outcome 2.3: Outline conditions that affect the wellness of communities.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Identify societal risk conditions that affect the wellness of communities(range: family
structure, employment status, and spiritual).
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Department of Higher Education and Training
Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
•
Describe how the socio-economic situation of a community influences the wellness of that
community.
Topic 3: Public Health
Subject Outcome 3.1: Explain the concept public health.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the concept public health (range: preventive and health promotion activities rather
than treat disease at population rather than individual level).
•
Describe the main purpose of public health.
•
Identify public health interventions and programmes (range: immunisation, hand hygiene,
programmes, condom distribution, etc.).
Subject Outcome 3.2: Compare acute with chronic disease.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the concept acute disease.
•
Define the concept chronic disease.
•
List the differences and similarities between acute diseases and chronic diseases.
Subject Outcome 3.3: List the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that relate to health
and wellness.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the term Millennium Development Goals and explain its origins.
•
List the six Millennium Development Goals related to health and wellness (range: eradicate
extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality
and empower women, reduce 0 – 5 year-old mortality, improve maternal health, combat
HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases).
Subject Outcome 3.4: Discuss Epidemiology.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the term epidemiology(range: agent (biological, nutrient, chemical, physical,
mechanical), human host (age, race, gender, genetic factor, personality and environment
(physical, social, economic, biologic).
•
•
•
Explain what is meant by incidence rates of disease.
Explain what is meant by prevalence rates of disease.
Explain the application of epidemiology to control diseases (range: science studying nature
and characteristics of the disease, people affected, time /season, environment/area, causal
organism/ factors, substance, and mode of transmission).
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Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
Topic 4: Infectious Disease
Subject Outcome 4.1: Explain infection control.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the concept infection.
•
Describe different ways that germs enter your body (range: pathogens entering through
inhalation, ingestion, broken skin, vector bites and sexual activities).
•
Explain infection control principles.
Subject Outcome 4.2: Describe the concept infectious disease.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define term infectious disease.
•
Identify different causes of infectious diseases (range: air-vector-, waterborne, sexual
transmission).
•
List different ways (modes of transmission) that infectious diseases spread.
•
Describe the principles of preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Subject Outcome 4.3: Describe tuberculosis as a form of airborne infectious disease.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define airborne infectious disease and tuberculosis (range: cold, flu).
•
Explain how tuberculosis is caused.
•
Explain how tuberculosis is spread.
•
List the signs and symptoms of tuberculosis.
•
Explain how tuberculosis is diagnosed.
•
Identify the various types of tuberculosis.
•
Describe tuberculosis treatment adherence and resistant tuberculosis strains.
•
Explain how to prevent tuberculosis.
Subject Outcome 4.4: Describe HIV/AIDS as a form of sexually transmitted infectious
disease.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the terms sexually transmitted infection and HIV/AIDS (range: Syphilis, Gonorrhea,
Chancroid, Trichomoniasis and Chlamydia).
•
Explain how one can be infected with HIV (range: sexual relations with infected individuals,
sharing contaminated needles, razors, tooth brushes, needle stick injuries, infected motherto-child during pregnancy, birth and/or breast feeding, contaminated blood transfusion, etc.).
•
List the signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS.
•
Explain the principles applied when caring for a person infected with HIV/AIDS (range: hand
hygiene, wear protective clothing, disinfect).
•
Describe what HIV/AIDS treatment involves.
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Department of Higher Education and Training
Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
•
•
•
Explain the effect HIV/AIDS has on people infected and affected.
Discuss perceptions on an HIV/AIDS infected person.
Explain the importance of knowing one’s HIV status.
Subject Outcome 4.5: Describe malaria as a form of vector borne infectious disease.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the concepts malaria and vector-borne infectious disease.
•
Explain how malaria is caused.
•
List the signs and symptoms of malaria.
•
Explain how malaria is diagnosed.
•
Describe the complications associated with not treating malaria and treating drug-resistant
malaria.
•
Explain measures to prevent malaria spread and infection.
Subject Outcome 4.6: Describe cholera as a form of water borne infectious disease.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define the terms cholera and waterborne diseases (range: cholera, gastro-enteritis).
•
List factors contributing to the spread of cholera.
•
Describe how a person becomes infected with cholera.
•
Explain how cholera can be prevented.
•
List the signs and symptoms of cholera.
Topic 5: Non-Infectious, Chronic Disease
Subject Outcome 5.1: Explain the concept non-infectious chronic disease.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
•
Define a “non-infectious disease”.
•
Identify and explain the causes of non-infectious chronic diseases.
•
Name the five most common non-infectious chronic diseases (range: diabetes, high blood
pressure, obesity, cancer, depression and heart and lung disease).
•
Describe how these chronic non-infectious diseases may be prevented.
•
Discuss the control of non-infectious chronic diseases.
Subject Outcome 5.2: Outline the causes, signs and symptoms of various non-infectious
diseases (range: diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cancer, depression and chronic heart and
lung disease)
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
5.2.1
Diabetes:
•
Define the term diabetes.
•
Explain the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
•
Name the causes of diabetes in children and in adults.
•
List the signs and symptoms of diabetes.
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Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
•
•
•
•
Indicate when a diabetic person should be referred to a clinic or doctor.
List the complications resulting from poor diabetes control.
Describe the treatment of diabetes.
Explain the principles of a diabetic diet.
5.2.2
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
High blood pressure:
Define the term high blood pressure.
Identify and explain the causes of high blood pressure.
List the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure.
Indicate when a person with high blood pressure should be referred to a clinic or doctor.
List the complications resulting from uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Describe the treatment of high blood pressure.
Explain the dietary principles applicable for someone with high blood pressure.
5.2.3
•
•
•
•
Obesity:
Define the term obesity
Identify and explain the causes of obesity in adults and children.
List the signs and symptoms of obesity.
Name the principles to address obesity.
5.2.4
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cancer:
Define the term cancer.
Identify and explain the causes of cancer in adults and children.
List the early signs and symptoms of cancer.
Identify measures to prevent cancer.
Describe the intensity, side effects and complex nature of cancer treatment.
Explain the basic principles of cancer treatment modalities.
5.2.5
•
•
•
•
Depression:
Define depression.
Identify the main causes of depression.
List the signs and symptoms of depression.
Explain the principles followed to address depression.
5.2.6
•
•
•
•
•
•
Heart and lung disease:
Define heart disease.
Define lung disease
Identify the causes of chronic heart and lung disease.
Discuss the relationship between heart disease and lung disease.
Indicate how chronic heart and lung disease affects a person’s health status.
Indicate the basic principles in managing chronic heart and lung disease (range: nutrition,
medication, changed life style, exercise).
Subject Outcome 5.3: Analyse nutrition, under-nutrition and malnutrition.
Learning Outcomes
The student should be able to:
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Department of Higher Education and Training
Public Health L2 (January 2013)
National Certificates (Vocational)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Define the concepts nutrition, malnutrition and under-nutrition (range: those at risk of
malnutrition: infant, adolescents, those pregnant and breast feeding, elderly, people with
AIDS, vegetarians, kwashiorkor and starvation).
Explain the causes of malnutrition in adults and children.
Identify and explain the causes of under-nutrition in adults and children.
Describe the signs and symptoms of malnutrition.
Describe the signs and symptoms of under-nutrition.
Compare under-nutrition with malnutrition.
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RESOURCE NEEDS FOR THE TEACHING OF PUBLIC HEALTH - LEVEL 2
8.1
PHYSICAL RESOURCES
Classroom, Internet and teaching resources
Class room facility equipped with loose chairs and desks so role-plays can be facilitated
Data projecting equipment.
White board/blackboard.
Different colour white board non-permanent markers.
Internet access.
•
•
•
•
•
8.2
HUMAN RESOURCES
A well-trained and motivated lecturer who is also trained as an assessor at NQF level 5/6.
A moderator trained at NQF level 5/6.
8.3
•
•
•
OTHER RESOURCES
Documents of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
Videos, pictures, diagrams, sketches, journals, books, magazines on diseases, health and
lifestyle.
Publications:
•
Clarke M, Giddy J, Knight S, Mclaren P, Prozesky D, Van Rensburg C and ABE
Development Services Trust. 2007. Preventing Diseases. Health for all. Cape Town, Juta &
Company Ltd. ISBN: 978 0 7021 5813 1
•
Clarke M, Giddy J, Knight S, Mclaren P, Prozesky D, Van Rensburg C and ABE
Development Services Trust. 2003. A Guide for Community Health Workers. Health for all.
Cape Town, Juta & Company Ltd. ISBN: 0 0721 5705 8 (Also available in Afrikaans).
•
Clarke M, Giddy J, Knight S, Mclaren P, Prozesky D, Van Rensburg C and ABE
Development Services Trust. 2003. ‘n Gids vir Gemeenskapsgesondheidwerkers. Health for
all. Cape Town, Juta & Company Ltd. ISBN: 0 7021 5816X).
•
Coleman M. 2009. HIV & AIDS. Durban, Jacana Media.
•
Health Systems Development Unit (HSDU) of the University of the Witwatersrand. 2001.
Primary Clinical Care (1). Cape Town, Heinemann. ISBN0 79620 146 3
•
Health Systems Development Unit (HSDU) of the University of the Witwatersrand. 2001.
Primary Clinical Care (3). Cape Town, Heinemann. ISBN: 0 79620 148 x
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