The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48305

Hilary Francis mwale, Mr, ZIHPSERV, Zambia Integrated Health Program, PO BOX 37230, Longacres, Lusaka, 10100, Zambia, 2601253728, hmwale@yahoo.com

Abstract

‘Putting the public back into public health’ is a theme that matches very well with issues of environmental health. The environment of a health facility is of much concern to the owners as it is to the public. The General Nursing Council in Zambia is in a process of setting up a Monitoring and Evaluation Sentinel system that will enable it ensure that the Zambian public is receiving the best possible nursing care in the most hygienic environments. Tools for monitoring environmental compliance were developed and will be implemented in the 15-selected sentinel sites between February and end of March 2002. Results for the first environmental surveillance will be ready by 30 April 2002. These results will be base lined and compared to the subsequent information that will be collected in the latter two quarters of 2002. This will be the first time; this kind of environmental information will be collected in Zambia for the purpose of improving environmental health in both the public and private sector.

The Zambia Integrated Health Program (ZIHP) a USAID funded project is supporting this M&E program. It is assumed that at the end of the implementation and eventual handover to business as usual the quality of nursing care and the environments in which they operate would have improved. This is a change initiative which is as a result of Customer Driven quality (CDQ) another new term much related to the theme of the American Public Health Association seminar.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the session the participant will be able to do the following

• The participant will be able to understand clearly how monitoring and evaluation can enhace nursing care and the environment in a health facility.
• The participants will learn how to construct a tool that can help their health facility monitor the environmental risk situations.
• The participant will learn possible software to be used for creation of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) database.
• The participant will also learn which stakeholders in the health sector would be interested in such M&E information and why.
• The participant will also learn how a nursing council can help to enhance public environmental health.
• The participant will also learn the importance of M&E in public health/environmental health

Keywords: Environmental Health,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: N/A
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment