About us
The Institute of Public Health, IPH, is a centre for generating ideas about health development, health promotion and disease prevention programmes in line with National health policy and priorities. It is the only institution of such stature in Nigeria. It was founded in 1994 with a faculty status in the College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. The Institute is also a centre for planning, implementing, coordinating and evaluating multidisciplinary research, service and training.
The Institute is a practice-oriented academic unit that provides a broad platform to facilitate the interaction of the university with the outside world of public health practice. It partners with other institutions in Nigeria and abroad as well as with development agencies to actualize the vision of health and development in Nigeria and beyond.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH, OAU
The Institute is headed by a Director and overseen by a Board. The Board of management of the Institute is headed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) who at present is Prof. B. O. Babalola.
The Board is made up of twenty-five members including the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, representatives of seven faculties in the University (Agriculture, Social Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Dentistry and Pharmacy); representatives of the University community as well as representatives of the Ile-Ife Community and Women’s group and the Zonal Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The Institute has an Administrative Secretary who heads the Administration Unit. The current Administrative Secretary is Mr. V. C. Ohalete.
The Institute has seven technical operation units, headed by enterprising academicians and experienced public health practitioners. This ensures a broad horizon within the public health world, strengthens the capacity of the Institute and improves its potentials for greater impact.
In addition to its full-time staff, the Institute draws human resource from various disciplines across the university – including community health, sociology, demography, obstetrics and gynecology, educational guidance and counselling for its programmes
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
KEY ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTE
The Institute has a wide range of experience working with partners on research activities, human capacity building and service provision in line with the three-fold mission of our university.
Research
IPH serves as a platform for promoting interdisciplinary research activities capable of improving health and advancing the field of Public Health as a broad discipline. Our research efforts are focused, among others, on strengthening the evidence-base for effective policy making and programme management. Research foci of IPH include diverse areas such as basic clinical sciences, epidemiology, social and behavioural sciences, health economics and health systems research, health policy, and human.
Training
At the Institute of Public Health, we strategically strive to contribute to public health development in Nigeria in the area of human resources development through short skill-oriented and high impact training activities. Thus, one of our core foci is to develop and deliver a number of short courses in areas that are considered to be of national relevance and priority. Overall, our training efforts are geared towards development of appropriate human resources for public health actions. IPH reaches out to various national and international agencies for partnership such that it can play the role of critical partners for implementing sub-national and national level research and training and services. Our service activities cover the following areas among others; development of innovative public health interventions to address priority health concerns, contributing to national policy and programme development and public health advocacy.
Health Research Ethics Committee
The Health Research Ethics Committee (HREC) was inaugurated on 17th February 2012 by the Institute of Public Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, lle-Ife. A three-day training programme was conducted by IPH in partnership with New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NVHMAS) from 15th to 17th February, 2012, where the members of the Committee were trained and registered. Members also undergo s statutory biennial training and periodic seminars to keep abreast of developments in the world of bioethics. The committee was established to fill a major gap of lack of functional Ethics within OAU. Till date, it remains the only Institution Review body in the university.The Committee is registered with the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja. The Ethics Committee is currently led by a reknown researcher, educationist and administrator, Prof. Olawumi Fatusi.