Skip to main content

Course

Non-Communicable Diseases, Emergency Care and Mental Health

Non-Communicable Diseases, Emergency Care and Mental Health

About this course

  • 38 hours study
  • Level 1: Introductory

Ratings

5 out of 5 stars

Sign up to get more

You can start learning at any time. By signing up and enrolling you can track your progress and earn a Statement of Participation upon completion, all for free.

View this course

Sign up to get more
    • Non-Communicable Diseases, Emergency Care and Mental Health Module

      Non-communicable diseases module coverWelcome to the Non-Communicable Diseases, Emergency Care and Mental Health module of the HEAT Programme.

      The national health strategy for Ethiopia emphasizes the provision of effective health promotion and disease prevention services at community level. The significant progress in tackling the major communicable diseases, however, can potentially be undermined by the steady rise in chronic physical and mental health problems within Ethiopia, and elsewhere in the developing world.

      As deaths from infection decline and people live longer, so their vulnerability to the chronic non-communicable diseases of old age increases. For example, over 50% of the 8 million deaths from cancers every year and over 80% of the 17 million deaths from heart disease and strokes now occur in developing countries. The numbers of deaths and injuries from traffic accidents and violence are also increasing across the world. Mental health conditions are responsible for high levels of mortality and disability, accounting for 8.8% of the deaths and 16.6% of the total burden of disease in low and middle income countries. Mental health is instrumental to overall health and well-being.

      Taking these trends into consideration, the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health has included this module on Non-Communicable Diseases, Emergency Care and Mental Health in the education and training of it’s Health Extension Practitioners.

      With the launch of the HEAT programme in 2010/2011, rural health extension workers (HEW) in Ethiopia received training in mental health and childhood developmental disorders for the first time. An evaluation of the initial HEAT mental health materials (provided as module book part 2 in the link below) revealed a need for more training in early detection, particularly in children, and specific support in tackling the stigma that often leads to affected individuals being concealed by their families.

      In response to this finding, a team of researchers from The Open University and Addis Ababa University, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health, produced additional training materials for use by Ethiopian HEWs in conjunction with the original HEAT module.

      The research team produced five short training videos, modelling an HEW interviewing mothers of children with autism or intellectual disability to demonstrate skills in early detection, supportive counselling and problem solving. The videos are produced in Amharic (the official Ethiopian language) – a version with English transcripts and subtitles is also available. 

      In addition, a ‘Mental Health Guide’ was produced that reinforces the training provided in the associated HEAT module, and extends training in childhood developmental and mental health problems.

      The training videos together with an adapted version of the Mental Health Guide are now available as mental health training resources for use in community health work worldwide.

      You can access these resources here.

      All these materials are free to use and/or can be further adapted to suit the local context. If you download the module, guide or videos, we would very much appreciate hearing from you. Let us know, via email, how you are making use of these materials in your own mental health practice or programme.

    • This course is part of a collection

      This course is part of a collection

      This course is part of a collection of courses called Health Education and Training (HEAT). There are 17 courses in this collection so you may find other courses here that maybe of interest to you.

      See this collection

    • Course learning outcomes

      As a health worker using these free materials you will learn more about non-communicable diseases, emergency care and mental health.


    • Course dates:

      First Published 04/09/2013.

      Updated 24/11/2017

    Course content

    Below is the course content. You can click on any section here and it will take you through to this section of the course.

    Course Reviews

    1 Ratings

    1 review for this course

    This course is rated 5

    We invite you to discuss this subject, but remember this is a public forum.

    Please be polite, and avoid your passions turning into contempt for others. We may delete posts that are rude or aggressive; or edit posts containing contact details or links to other websites.

    Course reviews

    • Md Aktaruzzaman

      Md Aktaruzzaman14 September 2019 11:59

      Rating entered. No review given

    About this course

    • 38 hours study
    • Level 1: Introductory

    Ratings

    5 out of 5 stars

    Sign up to get more

    You can start learning at any time. By signing up and enrolling you can track your progress and earn a Statement of Participation upon completion, all for free.

    View this course

    Sign up to get more

    Download this course

    Download this course for use offline or for other devices.