Health education specialization in Africa: roles in conflict

This paper presents an assessment of the professional preparation programme offered at the African Regional Health Education Centre (ARHEC), University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where training is provided at the diploma and post-graduate levels. Role conflicts between the two groups of professionals involved have been noted, both during and after training. Diplomates hold expectations that they will be considered in the same light as post-graduate specialists, and are therefore disappointed sometimes when they go back to their professional settings. Master level specialists also experience frustrations in cases where diplomates hold seniority over them. The most successful diploma holders seem to be those who incorporate health education into their basic professional practice, for example nurses using patient education skills. An analysis of the activities and performance of the diploma students during their training also revealed that they tend to view health education in terms of their basic profession and developed projects that integrated both disciplines. This experience has led ARCHEC staff to advocate profession-specific training at the diploma level, so that graduates will have a better vision of their role in the broader picture of health education.