Course syllabus for Public Health Response in Disasters

Hälsoinsatser vid katastrofer

Specific entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree or a professional qualification worth at least 180 credits in Health, Management and Administration or Social Sciences.

Applicants must have a good command in English. Applicants must prove a C1 English level (IELTS (minimum score of 6.0 with at least 5.0 point in each section); TOEFL (paper based) at least 575 points with 4.0 in the writing section; TOEFL (IBT) 79 points with at least 17 points in every section).

Outcomes

The course aims are to provide competencies, to adequately prioritize, plan, implement and monitor 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 affect 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 on health risks and health needs can be sought, analyzed and assessed in disasters.

Judgment and approach

• evaluate how different 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 of and handling of mass-casualty situations .
• explain the principles of evaluation health actions at disaster actions.

Skill and abilities

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

Judgment 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:
Module 1

• 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

Module 2

• 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
  

  Pre- disaster and Disaster Situations, a Global Perspective, 8.0 credits

  
  Grading scale: AF
  The course module focuses on the global burden of disease and factors that determine variations in the public health with a focus on low-income countries. 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.
  

  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 industrial disasters are highlighted. The module is completed with methods and principles of evaluation of health actions .

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 ere presence and where active participation is required.

The compulsory parts mainly consists of a comprehensive assignment at group-level, with written hand-ins, presentations and discussions in seminars. In order to pass the course, the student must have met established criteria for the various compulsory parts.

_Module 1. _The examination consists of an individual written examination .

_**Module 2. **_The examination consists of an individual written examination. I

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 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 how, absence from compulsory educational elements can be compensated for. Before the student has participated in the compulsory educational elements or compensated the absence in accordance with the examiner's instructions, the final course results will not be reported. Absence from a compulsory educational component may mean that the student cannot compensate for the missed compulsory educational element until the next time the course is given.

Limitation of number of occasions to write the exam
The student has the right to write the exam six times. If the student has not passed the exam after four participations, he/she is encouraged to visit the study advisor. If the student fails all six examinations/tests, no further opportunities for examinations are given. The number of times that the student has participated in one and the same examination is regarded as an examination session. Submission of a blank examination is also regarded as an examination. An examination for which the student registered but did not participate 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

Examination will be provided during a time of two years after a possible cancellation of the course. Examination can take place according to an earlier literature list during a time of one year after the date when a major renewal of the literature list has been made.

Other directives

Course evaluations will be carried out according to the guidelines that are established by the Committee for Higher Education.

The course is given in English.

Literature and other teaching aids

• 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, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107477261 *
• Jacobsen, Introduction to Global Health, Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2018 LIBRIS-ID: 22540864, *
• Humanitarian needs assessment: the good enough guide, Rugby : Practical Action Publishing, [2014] - xi, 108 pages ISBN: 9781853398636, LIBRIS-ID: 18060371, *
• 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, *
• Eriksson, Anneli, Estimating needs in disasters, University of Bergen, 2020 *
• Cuesta, Gil, Improving the evidence base of health interventions in humanitarian crises, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020 *

• 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

• 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, *
• 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, *
• 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, *

• 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