Disasters, health crises and communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as epidemic outbreaks

Objectives

The aim of the course is to give the participant an overall understanding of the global burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases and equip them with tools to plan for ethically anchored health strategies in health crises and disasters, with a focus on international humanitarian programs.

At the end of the course, the participant should be able to:

• Describe the global burden of the most common communicable diseases, transmission, vulnerability, clinical manifestation, and management.
• Describe the global burden of the most common non-communicable diseases and strategies for managing them in disasters and health crises.
• Describe the global burden of injuries and strategies for managing them in disasters and health crises.
• Assess health strategies that limit morbidity and mortality and plan for health promotion programs.
• Plan for optimal healthcare based on disease burden and limited resources with an ethical approach.
• Argue for the most important components of infectious disease control and disease outbreak response.

Content

• The global health situation - infectious diseases and epidemic outbreaks.
• Common infectious diseases, including pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, malaria, tuberculosis.
• Principles of communicable disease control, including immunization programs and other global strategies.
• International Health Regulations (IHR) and strategies in epidemic outbreaks.
• Rational use of antibiotics and other medicines.
• Infection prevention control.
• Acute care of patients with severe infectious disease.
• Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - global burden of disease and trends.
• Strategies for dealing with NCDs in disasters and health crises.
• Mental health and psychological first aid in disasters and health crises.
• Injuries, surgery, intensive care, and rehabilitation, the global situation.

Teaching Methods

The course runs over two weeks, where one half of the course consists of web-based distance studies and campus days. The course is examined through project work, individually or in groups. In work done in groups, the contribution of each group member will be assessed.

When and where

Dates: The course starts on February 27 and ends on March 12, 2025. Lectures on campus will take place from March 3 to March 7.

Course venue: Karolinska Institutet Solna, Stockholm, Sweden.

Target group

Licensed healthcare professionals and other professions who aim to work within the field of health response in disasters.

Course Managment

Anneli Eriksson, course leader, RN PhD, Research specialist, Centre for Research on Health Care in Disasters, Department of Global Public Health

Johan von Schreeb, MD, Professor Global Disaster Medicine, Department of Global Public Health

Martina Gustavsson, RN, MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher

Hannah von Reding, MSc in Global Health, Project coordinator

Course syllabus

You can find the course syllabus here.

Price

11 000 SEK, excluding VAT per participant. Course literature is not included in the price.

Extra information

This is one of four courses that together provide you with the competencies, strategies, and tools to enable you to work as humanitarian health assistance staff. The four courses give a comprehensive preparation for health professionals. The first course and fourth course also comprise a useful introduction to the field for other professionals.

The other modules can be found here:

• Global health, disasters and health crises, 3 credits
• Sexual and reproductive health and rights), as well as child health in disasters and health crises, 3 credits
• Project planning and response in disasters and health crises, 3 credits

More information

For questions about the course content:

Anneli Eriksson, course leader

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Global Public Health

E-mail: anneli.eriksson@ki.se

For administrative questions:

Kristoffer Mörtsjö, project coordinator

Executive and Professional Education at Karolinska Institutet

E-mail: Kristoffer.mortsjo@ki.se

Registration

Registration is binding. For cancellations later than six (6) weeks before the start of the course, 50 percent of the course fee will be charged, and for cancellations later than three (3) weeks before the start of the course, the full course fee will be charged. For complete terms and conditions, see our general terms and conditions.

Please note that the course is subject to the condition that we receive a sufficient number of participants.