Background
The department of Public Health was established in 2008 by offering a BSc degree in health officer under the then College of Health and Medical Sciences (CHMS). The department aimed at producing competent and qualified graduates from the BSc. level to the terminal (third) degree levels to contribute to the ever-increasing health human resource needs of the public health sector in the country. The department has significantly contributed to the production of public health professionals that contribute to disease prevention, health promotion and treatment, educational programs, policy development, services administration, research, and regulatory services locally and internationally.
The department has passed through a series of transformational development, the then program of public health was transformed to the department of public health during 2015/16 and currently, the department is structured into five administrative divisions (three coordinating units namely human nutrition coordinating units, public health and health policy coordinating units, behavioral and health promotion coordinating units) and two program coordinators (PhD programs coordinator, undergraduate program coordinator). The department has been building capacities on the existing system to become accountable to lead the initiative of capacity building process through developing a common quality assurance framework of public health. After the transition, the department further strengthened teaching, research, and community services integrity using any available opportunities
