The Medical Officer of Health: A review of contemporary history, functions and declining relevance in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: A medical officer of health (MOH) is the implementer of the public health laws and Primary Health Care (PHC) programmes of a district, county or local government. This review examines the historical functions of the MOH, current challenges and decline in its relevance in Nigeria.
Findings: The functions of a MOH include environmental health duties; organization of annual reports on the health status of the local population; disease notification and food safety. Whereas, contemporary history, reveals a stepwise adoption of the appointment of medical officers of health in the United Kingdom (UK) in the late nineteenth century, the reverse has been the case in Nigeria after its introduction in 1927. This may have contributed to the current weak health system and abysmal health indices in Nigeria.
Conclusion: The office of the MOH has lost its relevance in the Nigeria health system and in the implementation of PHC at the grassroots. Efforts should be made at all levels to reverse policies that are largely inimical to the implementation of PHC at the grassroots through the MOH. Also, policies that will empower Community Health Physicians across the country to be engaged at the community level should be encouraged, especially by PHC regulatory agencies in Nigeria.

Keywords: Medical Officer of Health; Public Health; Primary Health Care; Nigeria