CERTIFICATE IN HUMAN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
Course code: CHND
Level: Certificate
Duration: 1year
Overview
Certificate in Human Nutrition and Dietetics (CHND) is one year program organized by NIHS under the leadership of MOH- Directorate of Training and Professional Development.
Availability of competent and efficient human resources in the health sector is essential in the provision of the health services expected of the Government of South Sudan. A system that enhances the delivery of right quality and caliber of human resources through training is critical. This is particularly certificate holder of Human Nutrition and Dietetics that are constantly in direct contact with the patient/community.
Justification
South Sudan population suffering from a variety of nutritional deficiency disorders ranging from protein-calorie malnutrition to specific micro-nutrients in certain parts of the country. These nutrient deficiencies are propagated by multiple factors like dietary insufficiencies of micronutrients, poor maternal & child health, high burden of morbidity, low levels of micronutrients in the soil, bioavailability issues and have resulted in growth retardation, mental development and various types of physical disabilities. Increasing rate of chronic and acute malnutrition in the country is primarily attributed to poverty, high illiteracy among the mothers, food & nutritional insecurity and lack of cutting-edge research to devise local
solutions to curb this situation. Many infectious diseases such as respiratory and intestinal infections remain responsible for up to 50% of deaths of children under five. Beside micronutrient deficiencies, the incidences of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, obesity, hypertension and kidney & liver problems are increasing day by day due to unsafe and poor-quality diets.
Likewise, malnourished children are at risk of losing more than 10% of their lifetime earnings potential. Overcoming malnutrition not only improves productivity but also reduces disease burden and enhances individual & national growth and wellbeing. The present situation demands serious joint efforts with strong political commitment to strengthen the nutritional education, devise proactive interventions for vulnerable population groups such as pregnant and lactating women, young children, elderly and disabled individuals based on indigenous solutions.
Therefore, training students using a competence-based approach to work alongside other health professionals would narrow the gap in nutrition service delivery.
Course Objective
The overall objective of the programme is to give Basic nutrition training so that graduates of the programme can use food and nutrition knowledge and approaches to contribute to the alleviation of malnutrition and therefore to the development of South Sudan and the region.
The program is to equip learners with competencies necessary to develop students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for providing quality nutrition services at all levels in the health sector in the Republic of South Sudan. The design and the content of the programme provides opportunities for students to develop prerequisite competencies to provide clinical and community nutrition services, leadership, and management for strengthening the nutrition service system.
The programme will enable the graduate to achieve the following objectives at the end
of the training period:
- To produce nutritionists with knowledge and understanding of the basic elements of nutrition science required from the identification and analysis of nutritional problems of public health significance in South Sudan and the region.
- To produce nutritionists with knowledge and understanding of the multi-sectoral nature of nutrition and with the capacity of integrate knowledge from various disciplines in the development of nutritional programme for the improvement of the nutritional welfare of communities.
- To produce nutritionists who are motivated to work with local governments and communities on their development activities related to nutrition.
- To produce nutritionists with the knowledge and skills to contribute to the management of patients as part of the health care team.
- To produce nutritionists who are empowered with the skills and motivation to carry out research on nutrition relevant to the needs of South Sudan and the region.
- To produce nutritionists with a range of transferable skills such as problem-solving, use of IT for research, composition of reports, oral presentation and basic analysis of data; verbal and written communication in a style appropriate to a variety of different audiences using different media and working effectively as part of a team.
- To establish and promote partnership between Nile Institute of Health Sciences and Local Governments.
After the programme a graduand will be able to:
- Apply communication skills in provision of nutrition and dietetics services.
- Use ICT knowledge and relevant computer software to provide nutrition and dietetics services.
- Conduct basic nutrition and dietetics assessment.
- Provide basic nutrition and dietetics counselling, advice and services based on nutrition sciences.
- Manage basic nutrition programmes and services.
- Provide basic health education on nutrition and dietetics to the public.
- Participate in nutrition and dietetics research.
- Participate in Monitoring and evaluation of project/programmes on nutrition and dietetics.
Program structure
The programme is structured in courses that are logically and sequentially organized to take one academic year and is divided into two modules each lasting 22 weeks of learning and teaching as shown table below:
Module 1
Unit | Course | Total hours |
1 | Communication in English-1 | 30 |
2 | Clinical Biochemistry | 30 |
3 | Principles of Human Nutrition | 30 |
4 | Basic Mathematics | 30 |
5 | ICT application | 30 |
6 | Macro and Micronutrients in Human nutrition | 45 |
7 | Anatomy and physiology-I | 45 |
8 | Fundamental sociology | 30 |
9 | Nutrition and health promotion | 45 |
10 |
|
|
Module 2:
Unit | Course | Total hours |
1 | Anatomy and physiology-II | 45 |
2 | Food microbiology | 45 |
3 | Food safety and quality management | 45 |
4 | Assessment of nutritional status | 75 |
5 | Nutrition in life cycle | 45 |
6 | Dietetic-I | 45 |
7 | Public Health Nutrition | 45 |
8 | Infant and young child feeding | 75 |
9 |
|
|
10 |
|
|
ENTRY REQUIREMENT
Admission requirement
To gain admission into the Certificate in Human Nutrition and Dietic course, a candidate must, first, satisfy the general requirements for admission to NIHS at a certificate level. In addition a candidate shall be eligible for admissions to the CHND programme on meeting any of the following minimum qualifications:
Direct Entry:
A person may be admitted to the diploma programme (entry into year one) via the diploma scheme if the person has:
Country | Level completed | Results scored |
South Sudan:
| Senior 4 certificate | Minimum 60% average total scored in science subjects.
|
Uganda | O-Level Certificate or A-Level certificate | Minimum third (3rd) Grade or One principal passed and two subsidiaries, |
Kenya | Senior 4 certificate | Minimum Passed C+ |
Direct Entry:
A person may be admitted to the certificate programme via the certificate scheme if the person has:
Either: SSCE/O’level (or foreign equivalent) with at least 3 credits obtained in one sitting, and with at least a pass in Biology and Chemistry
OR: A Basic Course Certificate in a relevant discipline from a recognized institution.
COURSE FEES (PER SEMSESTER)
Fees | New student | Continue student |
Tuition (per semester) | 80,000SSP | 64,000 SSP |
Functional/administrative | 70,000SSP | 60,000SSP |
Total | 150,000 SSP | 124,000SSP |