The course will provide an overview of the threats to public health from contagious and notifiable diseases. From the basics of disease surveillance to modern tools and approaches for disease control and prevention, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the principles of health protection. By the end of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills needed to respond to the challenges of communicable diseases in our rapidly changing world. 

Weekly sessions comprised of lectures and seminars.

N/A

N/A

Assessment 1- Written assessment (3000 words) [80%; ILOs 1-4]

Assessment 2- 8-minute group presentation [20%; ILOs 1-4]

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. The group work component is not reassessable.

This course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the threats to public health posed by communicable diseases. Students will learn to evaluate the tools and approaches used to surveil and respond to these threats, gaining a deeper understanding of the strategies used to prevent, control, and manage outbreaks.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the epidemiological principles that underpin the spread of infectious diseases.

2. Compare and contrast the infectious disease control approaches and tools used historically, currently, and potentially available in the future from appraisal of the published literature.

3. Critically analyse the principles and methods of surveillance at both local and national levels.

4. Critically evaluate the mechanisms for surveillance and prevention associated with a range of infections.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.