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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Postgraduate Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
96521  Postgraduate Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 
ORIGINATOR
University of Witwatersrand 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Promotive Health and Developmental Services 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Not Applicable  NQF Level 08  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered  EXCO 0733/25  2024-06-30  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This qualification replaces: 
Qual ID Qualification Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Min Credits Replacement Status
9587  Diploma: Tropical Medicine and Hygiene  Level 7  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L7  120  Complete 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is to develop advanced knowledge and specialised problem-solving skills, preparing learners to deal with the common problems of human health and disease in the tropical environment and other low- and middle-income settings.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene has been designed to interweave the tradition of tropical disease studies with contemporary fundamentals, thus providing health practitioners with the tools to meet the modern challenges of tropical health posed by infectious diseases and humans.

Medical practitioners in their undergraduate training are provided with a broad overview of the epidemiology, management, and prevention of these conditions. The qualification will equip the learners with the competencies to effectively manage patients presenting with these conditions and advise on and manage public health interventions relevant to their practice areas.

On completion of the qualification, qualifying learners will be able to:
  • Perform high-order problem-solving techniques (collecting, analysing, organising, and critically evaluating information) and apply these techniques in the field of tropical medicine and hygiene.
  • Analyse health and its promotion, disease and its prevention, and management in different contexts.
  • . Apply knowledge of the major problems of human health and disease that are prevalent in tropical and other low-middle-income countries.
  • . Show professional and skilled ability to conduct all aspects of tropical medicine and hygiene, both in relation to the care of individuals and populations.
  • . Demonstrate self-direction and independence in learning to become a lifelong learner.
  • . Show ability to working with others as members of a team, group, organisation, community.

    Rationale:
    Morbidity and mortality in the tropics and other lowand middle-income countries are usually due to preventable and treatable communicable and non-communicable diseases. The burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in southern Africa and other low-middle-income countries is high.

    Undergraduate medical training is often limited in covering topics commonly seen in these settings and does not prepare individuals with advanced knowledge and skills to manage such challenges. The qualification aims to address this important gap.

    Qualifying learners may qualify to be employed as:
  • Academic Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry
  • Academic Researcher
  • Acute Medicine Doctor
  • Additional Professor of Medicine
  • Bioinformatician
  • Cardiologist
  • Clinical Fellow in Medicine
  • Clinical Worker (Infectious Diseases)
  • Consultant Anaesthetist and Critical Care Doctor
  • Consultant Medical Microbiologist
  • Core Medical Trainee
  • Director of Emergency Medical Services
  • GP (General Practitioner)
  • Infection and Disease Consultant

    The qualification emphasises conditions likely to be seen in developing countries, contributing to the need in South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries. The qualifying learners can be able to articulate through to Masters in a specialisation. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning:
    The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy, which is applicable to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules, and credits or towards the qualification.

    RPL for access:
  • Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
  • To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal, and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations, should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.

    RPL for exemption of modules:
  • Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted from modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, NQF Level 8,
    And
  • Registered as a medical practitioner with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 8, totalling 120 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 8: 120 Credits:
  • Key Concepts in Tropical Health and Priority Diseases, 30 credits.
  • Vector-borne and other Tropical Infectious Disease, 30 credits.
  • Important Communicable and Non-communicable Conditions in the Tropics, 35 credits.
  • Prevention and Control of Diseases in the Tropics, 25 credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Perform high-order problem-solving techniques (collecting, analysing, organising, and critically evaluating information) and apply these techniques in the field of tropical medicine and hygiene.
    2. Analyse health and its promotion, disease and its prevention, and management in different contexts.
    3. Apply knowledge of the major problems of human health and disease that are prevalent in tropical and other low-middle-income countries.
    4. Show professional and skilled ability to conduct all aspects of tropical medicine and hygiene, both in relation to the care of individuals and populations.
    5. Demonstrate self-direction and independence in learning to become a lifelong learner.
    6. Show ability to work with others as members of a team, group, organisation, or community. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1:
  • Collect, record, and analyse health-relevant information systematically and reliably; use this data to identify and manage health problems.
  • Analyse burden of disease and relate this to the socio-economic, political, environmental, and behavioural determinants of disease.
  • Develop the most appropriate approach to solving problems.
  • Identify and apply key principles in the practice of tropical medicine and hygiene to solve problems.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2:
  • Identify key issues in tropical medicine and hygiene.
  • Articulate an understanding of the epidemiology, transmission, pathogenesis, and pathology of diseases.
  • Integrate basic science and clinical skills to manage diseases in such settings and develop strategies for the prevention of such conditions, including the use of health promotion.
  • Apply the principles of disease and disability prevention and health promotion within the context of promoting a healthy environment.
  • Investigate outbreaks/epidemics.
  • Advise on, or initiate and supervise, measures to control and prevent such diseases.
  • Institute appropriate infection control and isolation measures.
  • Collate, record, analyse, and interpret all relevant information, and devise a management plan/programme.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3:
  • Apply the principles of epidemiology and clinical evaluation to good clinical practice of tropical medicine and hygiene.
  • Obtain an appropriate history and understanding of the patient's reason for encounter, perform a complete examination, interpret the findings to reach an assessment of the patient's problems, and formulate, with the family, plans for investigation and management
  • Initiate appropriate laboratory investigations and interpret independently the most common laboratory tests relating to these diseases.
  • Appropriate decision-making regarding investigations and management (including treatment and control/prevention interventions) or referral based on the above and current evidence.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4:
  • Shows an appreciation of the diversities of background and opportunity, language, and culture amongst patients and communities.
  • Recognizes the need to refer patients to or seek advice from practitioners who are more appropriately qualified/experienced than he or she is to treat certain conditions.
  • Shows an understanding, through actions or in written form, of the moral, legal, and ethical duties related to individual patient care and the delivery of care to communities.
  • Shows consideration of the impact of the environment on health.
  • Displays insight for the need to reduce inequalities in health care delivery, to optimise the use of health care resources in society and use his or her professional capabilities to contribute to the community and individual patient welfare.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5.
  • Uses appropriate strategies for learning that will prepare him or her for continued professional development throughout life
  • Apply skills in essential writing, critical reading, and public speaking, which are required to complete the course, as well as for their roles as managers.
  • Acknowledges responsibility for continuing professional development to keep up to date with new developments, maintain accreditation, and meet statutory requirements.
  • Identifies personal limitations and develops the capacity for self-audit and participates in the peer review process, showing a willingness to seek help when necessary.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 6.
  • Recognise the nature and scope of the various professional health disciplines.
  • Work effectively with others in a team, understanding the need to have managerial, communication, and research skills for this purpose.
  • Demonstrate respect for the essential roles which other health workers play in health care and show a willingness to work effectively within a team.
  • Be competent to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with peers, colleagues, patients and their families, members of the health care team, and the public.

    INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT:
    Assessment is undertaken continuously, incorporating seminar presentations and papers, coursework assignments, and tasks that contribute to the final mark. Such methods assess students' progress towards the professional and academic competencies set out in the exit level outcomes listed above. Summative assessment may be conducted by means of written examinations and equivalent assignments designed to integrate practical, theoretical, and reflective competence.

    To promote, monitor, and measure student learning throughout a course, no single assessment may count for more than 40% of the final mark unless there are special circumstances, in which case the permission of the Dean is required. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification compares with the following international qualifications in terms of the range of competencies in the learning content offered.

    Country: United Kingdom
    Institution: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
    Qualification: Professional Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

    Similarities:
  • The entry criteria are the same: medical doctors only.
  • The outcomes are very similar, covering the need to understand, diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases that are especially prevalent in tropical and developing countries, where resources may be limited. The addition of the latter statement accords with the modifications we have made.
  • They also emphasize epidemiological and public health aspects.
  • Lastly, the course includes non-communicable diseases, which is now also strengthened in our course.

    Differences:
  • Their programme is over 3 months, while ours is for a full year.
  • The Sout African qualification does not require our learners to "Prepare and examine" biological specimens for identification of common parasitic and bacterial pathogens and associated vectors. However, they are trained to identify such pathogens from prepared material.2
  • The UK uses a single national exit exam..

    Country: Thailand
    Institution: Mahidol University
    Qualification: Graduate Diploma Program in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H)

    Similarities:
  • The entry criteria are the same: medical doctors only.
  • The outcomes are very similar, covering the need to understand, diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases that are especially prevalent in tropical areas, and they also highlight travel medicine, which we also cover.
  • They also emphasize the importance of teamwork work which is also covered in our course.
  • They have 10 courses while we have 4, but the content is very similar, only grouped differently.

    Differences:
  • Their programme is over 5 months, while ours is for a full year.
  • They include compulsory and elective modules, which we do not include. The elective modules cover paediatrics, biostatistics, and laboratory practicals
  • The travel medicine includes topics like aviation medicine, underwater medicine, and high-altitude sickness which are not specifically covered in our course.
  • Public health in less of a focus in their course. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows possibilities for both vertical and horizontal articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Public Health Honours, NQF Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Health Sciences Honours in Physiology, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science Education, NQF Level 8

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Master of Medicine, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Science in Medicine, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Science in Health Promotion
  • Master of Health Sciences NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Health Sciences in Complementary Medicine NQF Level 9.

    Diagonal Articulation
    There are no diagonal articulation options available on the OQSF on levels 6 and 9. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Internal University requirements govern how and by whom moderation is performed. For example, external examiners are appointed. Such moderation seeks, inter alia, to ensure that, where appropriate, our graduates will be able to comply with professional and statutory requirements. Further, whether an academic entity has a professional orientation or not, the University ensures that its activities are moderated by internal and external review quinquennially. The moderating body for qualifications of the University is the Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on Higher Education, currently represented by the Interim Higher Education Quality Committee. 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    Internal University quality requirements govern how and by whom assessment may be performed to ensure that assessors have the competence required to assess a qualification of this nature. Once the Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on Higher Education is constituted and ready to pronounce on issues of quality, the University will respond to the HEQC guidance on the registration of assessors. In the interim, the academic staff of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, are regarded as registered assessors since SAQA has registered the institution as a public higher education provider. 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification.
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. University of Witwatersrand 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.