Medical Officer for Health

Medical Officer of Health, Medical Health Officer or District Medical Officer, is a title and commonly used for the senior government official of a health department or agency, usually at a municipal, county/district, state/province, or regional level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of public health professionals such as environmental health officers and public health nurses on matters of public health importance.

The equivalent senior health official at the national level is often referred to as the Chief Medical Officer, although the title varies across countries, for example known as the Surgeon General in the United States and the Chief Public Health Officer in Canada.

Canada

In Canada, all communities are under the jurisdiction of an MOH. The roles of the MOH vary across jurisdictions, but always include responsibilities related to public health and safety, and may include the following functions:[1]

India

Health officers in India are expected to have prescribed qualifications, such as a Bachelor of Sanitary Science (B.S.Sc.), a degree of an institution recognized by the Medical Council of India or a diploma in Public Health after a 2-year study at the University of Calcutta.[2]

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the municipal position was an elected head of the local board of health, however the term MOH has also been used to refer to the Chief Medical Officer. Under the Metropolis Local Management Act 1855, London municipalities were each required to appoint a medical officer. In 1856, 48 officers took up appointments in the city,[3] and these specialists formed Metropolitan Association of Medical Officers of Health. They were important and influential in the establishment of municipal hospitals under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1929.[4] In the 1974 NHS reorganisation they were replaced by Community Physicians who were attached to the different levels of the NHS.

Officers

United States

Health Officer is a common term used in the United States for public health officials, such as medical health officers and environmental health officers. They may serve at the global, federal, state, county, or municipal level.

Current major issues for health officials and health officers include tobacco control,[8] injury prevention, public health surveillance, disease control, access to health care, health equity, health disparities, cultural competence, access to preventive services such as immunizations and health promotion.[9][10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Role of the Medical Officer of Health. Health Canada, accessed 16 January 2012.
  2. ↑ "Notification No:22/2014 Health Officer in the Tamil Nadu Public Health Service, 2013-2014" (pdf). TAMIL NADU PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. 10 December 2014. p. 14. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  3. ↑ Anne Hardy (1993). The Epidemic Streets: Infectious Disease and the Rise of Preventive Medicine. p. 4. ISBN 0-19-820377-2.
  4. ↑ Levene, Alysa; Powell, Martin; Stewart, John (January 2006). "The Development of Municipal General Hospitals in English County Boroughs in the 1930s". Medical History. 1 (50): 3–28. PMC 1369011 Freely accessible.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Anne Hardy (2003). "Public health and the expert: the London Medical Officers of Health, 1856-1900". Government and Expertise: Specialists, Administrators and Professionals. ISBN 0-521-53450-X.
  6. ↑ "Infant Mortality in Kingston upon Thames in 1899" (PDF).
  7. ↑ English, Mary P. (1990). English, M.P. 1990. Victorian values. The life and times of Dr. Edwin Lankester, M.D., F.R.S. ISBN 0-948737-14-X.
  8. ↑ Nitzkin JL, Rodu B, 2008. The case for harm reduction for control of tobacco-related illness and death. Resolution and White Paper, American Association of Public Health Physicians. Adopted October 26, 2008.
  9. ↑ "Center for Minority Health /UPitt". cmp.pitt.edu. Retrieved August 21, 2008.
  10. ↑ "AAPHP E news and bulletins". aaphp.org. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2009.

Further reading

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