Welcome to the Public Health Department at Hawassa College of Health Sciences (HCHS), where we strive to shape the future of healthcare in the Sidama region and surrounding areas of Ethiopia.  Our core mission is to develop competent and skilled family health professionals and health extension workers capable of addressing primary healthcare challenges at the community level.  We believe in empowering communities by actively involving them in the planning and implementation of health programs to ensure sustainable and impactful results.

To achieve this, we offer a Level-IV Diploma in the Generic and upgrade Health Extension Program, as well as post-basic degree programs in Public Health Officer and Family Health. These programs equip our students with the necessary knowledge, attitudes, and skills to make a real difference in public health. Our students, with their diverse perspectives and shared passion for improving public health, are the heart of our department.  Join us at HCHS and become part of our dynamic community dedicated to advancing public health.

Sincerely!

Geleta Abra

Public Health Department Coordinator

                                                                  Public health department

Public health department is one of the pioneer departments in HCHS. The department started training student since 1989. Since then, the department has graduated students in different programs. Accordingly, from 1989 to 2003 in public health nurse program we had graduated 617 competent public health nurses. 

In the following years the department has opened health extension program in different training categories. As the result, since 2003-2017; 1780 HEWs upgraded to level-IV HEWs. In level-III health extension program a total of 829 HEWs were graduated in 2006, 2008 and 2009. In rural health extension program around 266 HEWs were graduated in the year 2010 and 2011. In the urban health extension program also 160 competent Urban HEWs were graduated in 2009 and 2010.  In 2016, the college started Generic health extension program in level-IV and currently training 87 students in this program.

In post basic degree program, the department has two programs; post basic health officer and post basic family health professionals programs. In post basic health officer program, the department has graduated a total of 304 (Male=73, Female=73) in the year 2006-2012. In post basic family health we had admitted 140 students from 2015 to 2017 and are now under training.

Currently, a total of 352 students are training in different programs including family health professionals and health extension workers in post basic degree and Level-IV diploma (see Fig. below).