Course syllabus for Public Health Response in Disasters

Hälsoinsatser vid katastrofer

Essential data

Course code: 2QA236
Course name: Public Health Response in Disasters
Credits: 20
Form of Education: Higher education, study regulation of 2007
Main field of study: Public Health in Disasters
Level: Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Grading scale: Fail (F), fail (Fx), sufficient (E), satisfactory (D), good (C), very good (B) or excellent (A)
Department: Department of Global Public Health
Decision date: 2014-06-23
Revised by: Education Committee GPH
Last revised: 2023-10-18
Course syllabus valid from: Autumn semester 2022

Specific entry requirements

A professional degree of at least 120 credits in health care or medicine. In addition to this, two years of work experience within one of the above-mentioned professions is required (certified by the employer). Alternatively, a degree of at least 180 credits and for the field relevant work experience (such as humanitarian aid and international development organisations, certified by the employer/organisation). And proficiency in English equivalent to English B/English 6.

Outcomes

The aims of the course are to provide competencies, to adequately prioritize, plan, implement and monitor public health interventions in disaster relief, based on needs and risks.

Module 1
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
Knowledge and understanding

  • explain how different health determinants influence vulnerability and a society's ability to cope with disasters.
  • define various types of disasters and describe how they can be prevented, as well as how their negative influence on the public health and health systems can be mitigated.

Skills and abilities

  • in a multistage process explain and plan how data and information about health risks and health needs can be sought, analysed and assessed in disasters.

Judgement and approach

  • evaluate how various types of disasters influence public health.

Module 2
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
Knowledge and understanding

  • describe the role of health systems in disasters
  • describe essential health interventions in different types of disasters
  • explain principles of and handling of mass-casualty situations
  • explain the principles of evaluation health systems and of health actions at disaster actions.

Skills and abilities

  • plan for essential health interventions in different types of disasters
  • plan for epidemiological surveillance in disasters situations.

Judgement and approach

  • relate to disaster response systems, their potentials and weaknesses.
  • prioritize among different strategies intended to meet the essential public health needs in disasters.
  • argue for the most important components for control of infectious diseases.

Content

The course is divided in two modules:

Pre-disaster and disaster situations - global perspective, 8.0 credits


Grading scale: AF
The course module focuses on the global burden of disease and factors that influence variations in the health status p. The course highlights and analyses general and directed health strategies intended to improve global health. The course module also focuses on health-related needs in various types of disasters and methods for analysis and assessment of public health and health-related needs in disasters.

  • Global health and the global burden of disease

  • Health determinants and their variation at global, regional, national and local level

  • The indirect and direct effects of disasters on health and health systems

  • Assessment of public health needs in disasters

    Public Health Response in Disasters, 12.0 credits


    Grading scale: AF
    The part of the course follows after assessments of health-related needs in a disaster. Important fields are: Priorities and organisation of health actions, epidemiological supervision and control of infectious diseases. Specific strategies for mass-casualty situations and other acute health threats are highlighted. The module is completed with methods and principles of evaluation of health actions.

  • Planning and implementation of curative and preventive public health interventions in different types of disasters and contexts

  • Principles for and handling of mass-casualty situations

  • Epidemiological surveillance in disasters

  • Control of infectious diseases

  • International systems for disaster response

  • Evaluation of public health response in disasters

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures. Web-based assignments in groups and individual, compulsory simulation exercises and compulsory discussion seminars. The student will practice and show ability to gather and analyse information related to disasters in the simulation exercises. The student will describe health systems and describe, plan and prioritize essential health interventions in, in the simulation exercises.

Examination

The two modules will be examined in two written examinations. Each module, also have compulsory parts, where active participation is required.

Module 1.
The examination consists of a written exam.

Module 2.
The examination consists of written exam.

The student will receive a final grade for the whole course (A-F). The final grade is an appraisal of the results in the two individual examinations. In order to pass the course, the student must obtain at least grade E in both the individual examinations and as well have met the established criteria for the obligatory parts.

Compulsory participation

The examiner assesses if, and in that case how, absence can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence in accordance with the examiner's instructions, the student's results for respective part will not be registered. Absence from a compulsory activity may result in that the student cannot compensate the absence until the next time the course is given.

Limitation of number of occasions to write the exam

Students who have not passed the regular examination are entitled to participate in five more examinations. If the student has not passed the exam after four participations, he/she is encouraged to visit the study advisor. If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination or new admission is provided.
The number of times that the student has participated in one and the same examination is regarded as an examination session.
Submission of blank exam is regarded as an examination session. An examination for which the student registered but not participated in, will not be counted as an examination.

If there are special grounds, or a need for adaptation for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to deviate from the syllabus's regulations on the examination form, the number of examination opportunities, the possibility of
supplementation or exemptions from the compulsory section/s of the course etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities may not be changed, removed or reduced.

Transitional provisions

The course has been cancelled and was offered for the last time in the spring semester of 2023. Examination will be provided until the fall semester of 2024 for students who have not completed the course.

Other directives

The course will be given in English.

Course evaluation will be carried out according to the guidelines that are established by the Committee for Higher Education. The course may not be included in a higher education qualification at the same time with the overview and passed course, whose contents completely or partly corresponds to the course content.

Literature and other teaching aids

Part 1

Required reading

  • Health in Humanitarian Emergencies: Principles and Practice for Public Health and Healthcare Practitioners, Townes, David, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2018 - 1 online resource (504 pages) ISBN: 9781107477261, LIBRIS-ID: nxptc9rxl8xz7jq8, Table of contents / Abstracts,
  • Jacobsen, Introduction to Global Health, Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2018 LIBRIS-ID: 22540864,
  • Howard, Natasha; Sondorp, Egbert; Veen, Annemarie ter, Conflict and health, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England : McGraw Hill/Open University Press, 2012. - xvii, 197 pages ISBN: 9780335243792 (pbk.), LIBRIS-ID: 18062121, *
  • Humanitarian needs assessment: the good enough guide, Rugby : Practical Action Publishing, [2014] - xi, 108 pages ISBN: 9781853398636, LIBRIS-ID: 18060371, *
  • Eriksson, Anneli, Estimating needs in disasters, University of Bergen, 2020p. 17-29 *
  • Cuesta, Gil, Improving the evidence base of health interventions in humanitarian crises, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020p. 29 - 82 *

Recommended reading

  • WHO child growth standards and the identification of severe acute malnutrition in infants and children, WHO/Unicef, Geneva, 2009
  • Public health guide in emergencies, John Hopkins School of Public Health, International federation of Red Cross red Crescent Societies, 2008

Part 2

Required reading

  • Beck, Tony, Evaluating humanitarian action using the OECD-DAC criteria An ALNAP guide for humanitarian agencies, ALNAP, Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance, 2006 *
  • Checchi, Gayer, Freeman Grais and Mills, Public health in crisis- affected populations A practical guide for decision-makers, Humanitarian Practice Network at ODI , HPN, 2007 *
  • Connolly, M. A., Communicable disease control in emergencies: a field manual, Geneva : World Health Organization, c2005. - vii, 295 p. ISBN: 92-4-154616-6, LIBRIS-ID: 10160940, *
  • Humanitarian needs assessment: the good enough guide, Rugby : Practical Action Publishing, [2014] - xi, 108 pages ISBN: 9781853398636, LIBRIS-ID: 18060371, *
  • Chan, Emily Ying Yang, Public health humanitarian responses to natural disasters, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge, 2017 - 259 pages ISBN: 9781138953680, LIBRIS-ID: 20113522, *
  • A Guidance document for medical teams responding to health emergencies in armed conflicts and other insecure environments, World Health Organization. Geneva, 2021 https://extranet.who.int/emt/guidelines-and-publications, *
  • The Sphere handbook, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response, The Sphere project, 2018 https://spherestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/Sphere-Handbook-2018-EN.pdf, *
  • Handbook for emergencies, 4th edition, UNHCR© United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Geneva, 2015 *
  • Classification and minimum standards for foreign medical teams in sudden onset disasters, World Health Organization: Geneva, 2021 https://extranet.who.int/emt/guidelines-and-publications, *

Recommended reading

  • Manual for the health care of children in humanitarian emergencies:, WHO, Geneva, 2008
  • Medical response to major incidents and disasters: a practical guide for all medical staff, Lennquist, Sten, Heidelberg : Springer, c2012. - xxiv, 412 p. ISBN: 978-3-642-21894-1 (alk. paper), LIBRIS-ID: 13597503,
  • WHO child growth standards and the identification of severe acute malnutrition in infants and children, WHO/Unicef, Geneva, 2009
  • Young, Helen; Jaspars, Susanne, The meaning and measurement of acute malnutrition in emergencies: a primer for decision-makers, Humanitarian Practice Network at ODI , HPN, 2006
  • Public health guide in emergencies, John Hopkins School of Public Health, International federation of Red Cross red Crescent Societies, 2008
  • Clinical guidelines: Diagnosis and treatment manual for curative programmes in hospitals and dispenseries, Médecins sans Frontières, 2021
  • Essential drugs: Practical guidelines, Médecins sans Frontières, 2021
  • WHO (2013) Pocket book of Hospital care for children: Guidelines for the management of common illnesses with limited resources, 2nd edition:, WHO, 2013
  • Pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and newborn care: A guide for essential practice, 3rd ed., WHO, 2015

Articles and lecture presentations, which will be provided during the course.