Central Health Education Bureau
Central Institutes

In consonance with the recommendations of the Bhore Committee and the Planning Commission, the Central Health Education Bureau (C.H.E.B.) was created in the year 1956. The publicity Unit of the Directorate General of Health Services which has existed for several years before, was merged with this newly created institute. The Bureau which started with one unit and few staff members in 1956 grew in size and activities gradually and had seven Divisions with trained technical personnel and one administrative division.

The goals and objectives of the division include educating the people about health plans and programmes, training health professionals , developing and supplying health education/IEC materials, conducting health behavioural research activities, providing technical assistance to government and non-government agencies in the field of health education, developing health education syllabi for different target groups and collaborating with international agencies in promoting health education. CHEB also works with SHEB, WHO, State health directorate, Depts. of education, NCERT, Board of Secondary Education and other national and international agencies in imparting health education

Objective

In order to achieve the goal of developing and promoting health education in the country, the CHEB has the following objectives:-

• Interpret the plans, programmes and achievements of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Design guide and conduct research in health behaviour, health education processes and aids.
• Produce and distribute type health education material in relation to various health problems and programmes.
• Train key health and community welfare workers in health education and research methods, evolve effective methodology and tools of training.
• Help schools and teacher training institutes for health education of the school population.
• Provide guidelines for the organizational set-up and functioning of health education units at the state, district and other levels.
• Render technical help to official and non-official agencies engaged in health education work and coordinate their programmes.
• Collaborate with international agencies in promoting health education activities.

Divisions of CHEB :

There are 5 divisions of CHEB.

• Media & Editorial Division
• Health Promotion & Education
• The School Health Education Division:-
• Training Division
• Administrative Division

Media & Editorial Division

The Media Division of the Bureau is mainly responsible for producing health education and publicity material for carrying out health education programmes in the country on scientific lines by disseminating the latest and correct information to the people about health and prevention of diseases and thereby creating awareness among the people and motivation them for desired changes in health behaviour.

Exhibition

On the average 15 exhibitions are organised every year on different areas of Health and Family Welfare to educate the people on different aspects of health. Assistance is given to different official/non-official organizations in planning; production and use of exhibition media in health education programmes. Besides organising exhibitions, exhibition material is also loaned to the organizations working in the field of health education. The Bureau participates in the national/international fairs to publicise the programmes and achievement on behalf of the Ministry. In 1983, the Bureau worked jointly with the Department of Family Welfare for arranging a pavilion in the International Trade Fair.

Photo Services

Photographic coverage is done for the support of health programmes of the Directorate General of Health Services, and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. These photographs are used in the health publicity/educational material.

Functions and Duties of Division

• To produce prototype health education materials on all health Issues.
• To provided media services to the different divisions of the bureau.
• To provide media services to the all National Health Programmes and Technical Divisions of the Directorate General of Health Services.
• To prepare scripts for All India Radio and Doordarsan Kendras on Health Issues of Public Health Interest.
• To coordinate with various ministries and deptt., non governmental and private agencies.
• To facilitate and promote production and dissemination of need based health educational materials in print electronic and folk media.
• To provide Resource and to participate in capacity building programmes on different types of media for health communication.

Health Promotion & Education

he health promotion & Education division was created in 2005 by incorporating the functions and activities of Health Education Services division of the bureau. The HPE division is responsible for co coordinating and collaborating Health promotional and educational activities with national & international agencies. This division directly associates with State Health Education Bureaus for imparting health education in the states. It also celebrates national and International health days through adopting various medias of communication like press advertisement, production of health education materials on the theme and broadcasting and telecasting through Prasar Bharti (AIR, Doordarshan). The HPE division laison with WHO to carry out health education & health promotion projects for implementation of health education programs in the country

Functions and Duties of Division

• To establish and maintain linkages with National (Govt.) and non-Govt.), international agencies for health promotional and health educational activities/services in the country.
• To maintain close linkage with state health education Bureau(SHEs) to facilitate, advocate and strengthen and to evaluate health education programmes.
• To facilitate capacity building of man power working in SHEs through need based training programmes/fellowships and periodical regional review meetings, seminars workshops for receiving and giving feedback on different aspects.
• To plan, design and monitor guidelines on different activities of SHEs and other health agencies engaged in the field of health promotion and education.
• To supply prototype health education material and guidelines for observance of special health days, weeks, fortnights.
• To provide need based consultative and advisory service to different health agencies

The School Health Education Division:-

The School Health Education Division was established in 1958 with a view to strengthening health education programmes for the younger generation. It works as technical resource centre with the Ministry of Education, N.C.E.R.T., and Directorate of Adult Education. It works in close collaboration with all these agencies and also with State Health and Education Departments and Universities in the country for strengthening health education programme for formal and non-formal education.

The functions of the Division are:

• To interpret plans, programmes and policies of the Union Ministry of Health and F.W., Ministry of Education and Culture, State Governments and key organizations with a view to get them properly reflected in their education in the country.
• To plan, strengthen and revise health and population education curriculum in the light of the assessed needs for various levels.
• To provide consultative and advisory service in school health to various organizations with regard to different components of the programme.
• To coordinate plans and programmes in the field of School Health carried out in States and U.Ts.
• To produce ‘type’ instructional material for strengthening health education components of formal and non-formal education.
• To act as clearing house for information materials, projects and plans related to health education components of formal and non-formal programmes of education.
• To conduct pre-service and in-service education programmes.

As a step to strengthen health education component in the school curriculum, the School Health Education Division has developed syllabi for classes IX to X of the central board of the secondary education as a separate subject under Physical Education and Health Education or Classes XI and XII (Vocational Stream) of the CBSE. It has also developed Health education syllabi to be used for degree courses in Physical Education. Besides, it has developed syllabi of health education to integrate it in the training of adult education functionaries for elementary teacher training for B.T. /B.Ed. The School Health Education Division has also integrated health education component in population education.

A Population Education Guide for Secondary School Teachers was developed by the Division for the use of State Health and Education Departments. The Division has also produced brochures, handbooks etc., for the use of National Social Service Volunteers: and Primary and Secondary School teachers. Imparting training to teachers, medical and Para-medical functionaries are one of the major takes of the Division. It also imparts training to various categories of personnel attending training programmes organised by the Bureau.

The School Health Education Division in the nodal point in the D.G.H.S. to monitor School Health Services Programme in the country. The Division has also monitor the National School Health Scheme which was later transferred to the States and Union Territories. Another programme that was monitored by the Division was an Intensive Pilot Project which was launched by the Ministry of Health & F.W. with a purpose to draw experiences for formulating national guidelines for a comprehensive school health education programme in the country.

Functions and Duties of Division

• To plan, design and strengthen and review school and adolescent health education in the country.
• To establish and maintain the linkages with the department of Education (Min. of HRD) state education depts.
• To facilitate, Coordinate and strengthen school health education programme.
• To facilitate/provide consultative and advisory services in the state UTs in the field of school and adolescent education.
• To produce Instruction materials like Teaching aids, Guides for teachers on school health education.
• To conduct in-service training for teachers and faculties of teacher training institutions(DIETS).
• To identify the Adolescent health educational needs and to facilitate and strengthen health education on major adolescent health problems in the country

Training Division :-

Training constitutes a major function of the Bureau. The Training Division of the Bureau came into being in 1964. But the first training programme had been started in 1960 itself with the help of various specialists available in the Bureau to organize courses for different categories of personnel such as Family Planning Extension Educators, V.D. Workers, Distt. Health Extension Educators, Health Visitors, Nursing Superintendents, Social Workers, Social Scientists, Teachers and Medical Personnel of the various State Health Education Bureaux. In recent years much emphasis is laid on supervised field programmes for the trainees in order to develop skills in extension education and to integrate the theoretical aspects of health education with the field operations.

The Central Health Education Bureau conducts both long term and short term courses in health Education. The trainees are key trainer as well as other category of health personnel deputed to Bureau for training in Health Education. The objectives of the training division are to:-

• Provide training in health education through long & short term training programmes to equip the participant to work as Health Education Specialities.
• Prepare and standardize training curricula etc. for the training of various categories of health education personnel.
• Provide assistant and guidance to the faculty of health & family planning training centres located in the state of Haryana, Bihar and union territory of Delhi.
• Organise periodically short orientation training programmes for visitors to the Bureau from within & outside the country.

The activities of the Training Division fall mainly under three categories.

• DIPLOMA IN HEALTH EDUCATION
• IN-SERVICE TRAINING.
• ORIENTATION TRAINING PROGRAMME.
• RESEARCH AND EVALUATION DIVISION

1. Diploma in Health Education

   The course was started by the Bureau in 1971 & is a post graduate course of two years during since 1989 affiliated to the University of Delhi & recognized by Medical council of India. It is design with the view to prepare health education specialist in the country. The course has an admission capacity of 20 & is open to both medical & non medical gradates with social science background and work experience of one to three years. Foreign students sponsored by the respected countries are also admitted to the course if they fulfill the requirements of admission as laid down by the University of Delhi. The officers of the CHEB conduct the course and participate in teaching & in field training.



2. In-Service Training


3. Orientation Training Programmes

   The CHEB, being a national institute, shares its health education knowledge and skills with other national and international agencies and developing countries by way of providing orientation to their personnel. It offers orientation training to medical as well as non-medical personnel sponsored by various organizations including international organizations. On an average, the Bureau offers training to 400 to 500 visitors every year. The duration of orientation varies from a day to several weeks.



4. Research and Evaluation Division

   The knowledge of people’s behaviour forms essential components of health education. To understand why people behave the way they do and to develop better ways and means to change them, it is essential to study the people knowledge, their health practises and attitude towards various health problems and programmes. With this view in mind, the Research and Evaluation division was established in 1960 with the objective to understand and promote behavioural research activities in the country. The functions of the Division were to.

   
   
   • Conduct studies in various components of society and social forces related to health behaviour.
   • Conduct problem oriented studies to help in the effective implementation of various public health programmes.
   • Initiate long range theory – building health related behavioural studies in corporation / coordination with international agencies, Universities and other allied organisations.
   • Conduct research methods courses for training social scientists working in the SHEB’s, Medical colleges and in other allied institutions.
   • Strengthen social sciences and research methods component in various in service training programmes of the Bureau.
   • Participate in the two year post-graduate D.H.E. programmes of the Bureau affiliated to University of Delhi.
   • Conduct evaluation studies of the various training programmes, methods and media and other services activity of the Bureau.
   • Assist State Health Education Bureau in carrying out health education research and in other research oriented activities at the state level.
   • Disseminate health education research information to state health education bureau and various other allied institutions at the national level.
   
   

   The division has conducted 56 field studies in the areas of national malaria eradication program, smallpox, maternity and child health and family welfare, leprosy, sexually transmitted diseases, environmental sanitation, food practises and medical care etc. One of the major function of the division is to produce is technical papers and circulate them to the SHEB’s and other institutions who may use these for developing the research component of health education. The Division has produced 54 such technical papers methods is another significant function of the division. The division has been organising research methods courses – 1 year in 1962, 1966, 1974, 1977.

The projects under taken are:

• Study on community participation in the expanded immunization programme in Maharashtra and Orissa States.
• Study on the impact of health education materials/methods in management and control of diarrhoeal diseases.
• Socio-cultural and health in V. D.
• Perception of physician and non-physician health educators towards conducting health Education activities.

Classified List Of Field Studies

The Bureau has a Library with about 10,000 books on varied subjects like health education, social sciences, communication, training, family welfare, media management, adult education, elementary and secondary education, etc. Besides books on various disciplines, the Library has good number reference books such as encyclopaedias on social sciences, medicines; and on national and international development in health. Reports published from time to time by the Government of India are also placed in the Library.

Administrative Division :-

The Administration Division of the Bureau is essentially a Service Division for the other Divisions of the Bureau. It is headed by a Deputy Director (Admin.) .All establishment matters relating to the officers and staff of the Bureau are looked after by this Division. Maintenance and security arrangement of the CHEB building, hostel premises, purchase of stationery and other store items, preparation of annual budget and plan, administrative matters in respect of publications and publicity activities etc., are being looked after by this Division.

Altogether the Administration Division is responsible for the servicing and providing administrative support to all other Divisions of the Bureau.

Functions and Duties of Division of Administrative Division Preparation of Budget Proposals (Plan and Non-Plan) of CHEB and other related matters like performance budget and Annual Plan etc.

• Preparation of pay and all other bills in respect of staff members.
• Drawl and disbursement of salary and other claims of all the staff members.
• Maintenance of GPF Ledgers of Group D staff.
• Issue and updating of GPF pass-books.
• Calculation and collection of IT and issuance of Form-16.
• Reconciliation of Accounts with PAO.
• All the Estt. And personal matters (Like appointment ,promotion, ACP, superannuation ,fixation of pay, sanction of advance, processing of personal claims e.g., medical reimbursement etc.
• Maintenance of Service-books and personal files of all the staff members.
• All the disciplinary matters. 11.Receipt and distribution of internal Daak(Letters/ Post). 12.Distribution of Health Education Material.
• Maintenance of office records.
• Matters relating to vehicles.
• Matters relating to Audit.
• Matters relating to CGHS cards.
• Matters relating to Govt. Accommodation.
• Court/CAT cases.
• Official language matters and all periodical returns.
• Parliament Questions and assurances.
• Preparation of Telephone Electricity, News papers ,Conveyance and other such bills.
• Stipend to students.
• Upkeep, Repair and maintenance of office Premises and Hostel Security.
• Procurement, storage and Distribution of Stationery and other
• AMC of all office Equipment and Machinery as also processing of bills thereof.
• Disposal and condemnation of old stores.

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