Health Promotion Officer

What is Health Promotion Officer (HPO) about?

Health Promotion Officer is a Community Health Worker whose main focus is on primary healthcare, with health promotion as a vital aspect. The HPO plays a pre-emptive role in the assessment and identification of health needs as well as to intervene in primary healthcare activities.

Duties of Health Promotion Officer

• Provide basic nursing and palliative care
• Treat simple diseases, injuries, wounds
• Make referrals for various health problems to appropriate levels of health services.
• Promote TB Infection control
• Take temperature, BP, Pulse and respiration
• Check Sexual Transmitted Infections, teach and refer for treatment
• Identify pregnant mothers, mothers who have given birth and their babies and refer for treatment
• HIV and AIDS testing and counselling
• Identify drug and substance abusers and refer them to rehabilitation centres
• Teach people about dangers of drug and substance abuse
• Teach people about cleanliness of in-house, environment and water
• Teach about women and men’s and children’s health

What are the entry requirements?

Ancillary Health Care NQF Level 1 or

ABET Level 4 with FLC or

Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 (No specific subjects are required)

Duration of study

It can be done in twelve (12) months on full-time attendance (i.e. Mon to Fri) or eighteen (18) months on part-time attendance (Sat classes).

There are three (3) intakes per year: February, July and October.

Examinations

Learners will write national exams after completing the course. Exams are written in March and October/November every year.

 Certification

Learners who have passed National Examination will be awarded Occupational Certificate: Health Promotion Officer by Quality Council for Trades & Occupations

What can one do after obtaining this qualification?

1. Find employment.

• Major employer is Department of Health (Clinics, rehabilitation centres, testing and counselling centres) through its implementation of Primary Health Care Re-engineering under NHI.
• Other employers include Schools, waste disposal plants, water purification plants, local municipalities, Mental Health Centres, Old age homes, mines, Health Research centers, Cancer foundation, heart foundation, diabetes foundation, social development, and NGOs/NPOs.

2. Enroll for higher level qualifications such as:

• Further Education and Training Certificate: Community Health Work
• Further Education and Training Certificate: Community Development: HIV/AIDS Support,
• Higher Certificate in Social Auxiliary Work
• Mid-level course is being developed to bridge to Degree in Health Promotion Officer