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]

It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.

[No exceptions]

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.