Directorate of Public Health
The Public Health Directorate consists of eight sections. These sections and their primary functions are as follows:

1. Environmental Health Section
   Major activities:
   • Water and general sanitation
   • Insect and rodent control
   • Malaria control and frequent sampling of drinking water
   • Hotels & barbershops inspection
   
   
2. Food & Water Hygiene Section
   Major activities:
   • Food inspection at ports
   • Internal food inspection (periodical inspection of food premises and for approval of license)
   • Educate and train the staff involved in producing, handling and selling food-stuffs.
   
   
3. Public Health Laboratory
   Major activities:
   • Provides support services in food and water quality control.
   • Serological and microbiological investigations of communicable diseases such as Hepatitis, Measles, AIDS, TB, etc. as epidemiological and clinical support.
   • Participates in scientific research related to above activities and other issues of public health concern
   
   
4. Nutrition Section
   Major activities:
   • Identifying main nutritional problems among different age groups in community by conducting various research activities.
   • Planning national nutritional programs.
   • Nutrition education and training of health and non health personnel
   • Monitoring and evaluation programs.
   
   
5. Communicable Diseases Section
   Major activities:
   • Formulates national policies pertaining to the prevention and control of communicable diseases. Enforces legislation pertaining to communicable diseases isolation and repatriation.
   • Maintains and monitors the national reporting system of diseases.
   • Maintain surveillance and control of communicable diseases.
   • Conducts investigation of outbreaks
   • Revises the national immunization schedule.
   • Maintains high immunization coverage.
   • Plans and implements immunization campaigns, immunization programs for schools and travelers.
   • Conducts. research and surveys.
   
   
6. Occupational Health Section
   Major activities:
   • Formulates national occupational health policies and programs.
   • Issues laws and regulations to ensure workers safety.
   • Inspecting and monitoring the work environment for occupational health and safety hazards.
   • Adoption of basic set of standards at the work site pertaining to the prevention and management of occupational diseases.
   • Conducts periodic medical examination of workers aimed at the early detection of occupational diseases.
   • Provides consultation and advice on occupational diseases/accidents.
   • Conducts research and studies related to occupational health.
   
   
7. Birth & Death Registration Office
   Major activities:
   • Supervises registration of births and deaths.
   • Examines and verifies completeness and legality of documents presented during registration of births and deaths.
   • Issues certificates of birth and death.
   • Ensures enforcement of birth and death registration legislation.
   • Performs and validates coding of death according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).
   
   
8. Non-Communicable Diseases Section
   Major activities:
   • Acts as the principal authority in the Ministry of Health for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
   • Sets and monitors the implementation of the national standards and policies pertaining to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
   • Designs, implements and evaluates health plans and activities toward non-communicable diseases prevention and control.
   • Coordinates with other departments concerned with any aspect of the non-communicable diseases prevention and control both within and outside the Ministry of Health.
   • Represents the Ministry in national, regional and international scientific congregations concerning the non-communicable diseases prevention and control.