Recommended previous knowledge:

The course is in English and participants are required to read and write English. In addition, the participants must have some knowledge of research methods at a Masters level. 

Required previous knowledge:

The course is open to PhD candidates who are members of the Norwegian Research School of Global health (NRSGH).

Master students and medical students may be admitted, based on availability. The maximum number of participants is 30.

Academic content:

While understanding key concepts of epidemiology, health management and statistics are common topics to the study of global health, this course focus on the importance of infection prevention and control of emerging epidemics in resource-constrained settings and for vulnerable populations.

This course will give the students a basic understanding of causes and spread of a variety of communicable diseases with the main purpose to understand the importance of preventive measures and correct handling of epidemics at an early stage. We will look at how various infectious agents are transmitted, how they can be avoided, the importance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the global, political and economic consequences of epidemics.

The student will learn how epidemics easily can spread in vulnerable populations in resource-limited settings, and how the economic resources available, and the distribution of those, set the premises for how diseases spread in a population. The course will focus on importance of good governance, good health systems, the quality, availability and appropriateness of health services, education and prior knowledge in the population set the scene for how various diseases can be tackled.

Course material

(Literature)

- Rothman KJ. Epidemiology – an introduction, 2^nd edition, chapter 6, Infectious disease epidemiology, p 110 -123.  ISBN 978-0-19-975455-7, Oxford University Press Inc. New York 2012. https://www.amazon.com/Epidemiology-Introduction-Kenneth-J-Rothman/dp/0199754551

- Peters DH, Adam T, Alonge O et al. Implementation research: what it is and how to do it. BMJ 2013;347:f6753 doi: https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6753.

- Médecins Sans Frontières. Refugee Health – An approach to emergency situations. Macmillan edu. Ftd, London and Oxford, 1997: p 37-42 (Introduction to part II). ISBN 0-333-372210-8 p 37-42 Refugee Health (humanitarianlibrary.org)

- Whitmee S, Haines A, Beyrer C et al. The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on planetary health: Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch: report of The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on planetary health. Executive summary. Lancet 2015; 386: 1973–2028 https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2815%2960901-1

See the whole literature list for required and suggested readings.

Teaching methods and activities:

The course will be lectured digital by Zoom.

Lectures, discussion of concepts, and group work with practical case examples. Participation in group work is obligatory.

Working in groups of 3-4, the students will analyse a case study of an emerging infectious disease with epidemic potential in a given setting. Medical aspects, preventive measures, public health, implementation, global impact and ethical and social issues will be discussed.

Learning outcome:

Knowledge:

• Understand how the health of ecosystems can affect animal- and human health.
• Understand the models for estimating how infectious diseases spread (calculating Ro)
• Know the mode of transmission of the most important infectious diseases including possible emerging diseases and how they can be prevented.
• Understand how infectiousness, exposure, duration and behaviour influence disease patterns in populations
• The global, political and economic consequences of epidemics, and understand how they affect populations with a social gradient.
• Understand the basic mechanisms for vaccination, immunology and immunity at group level
• Methods for disease control in populations. 
• Understand the importance of the clinical and public health systems for countries to be able to prevent, detect and respond to communicable diseases and epidemics, and understand the interdependencies between universal health coverage, health preparedness and health promotion, and some of the major factors like prioritization and utilization of limited resources and education.

Skills: 

• After the course, they will be able to guide frontline field workers in international NGOs and local and national health professionals in prioritizing in emergencies where communicable diseases may emerge or already are spreading.
• Through group hands-on projects and group presentations the students will learn how to conduct rapid needs assessments, establish public health program priorities, work closely with affected communities and coordinate between various NGOs, organize and manage health facilities and essential medical supplies, train local workers, monitor and evaluate the impact of their programs, and efficiently manage scarce resources.
• Be able to design an implementation research plan to follow the development of an outbreak.

General competence:

• They will be able to analyse how the political, economic, social and cultural settings influence the prevention of spread of communicable diseases. 
• Identify areas with research gaps and formulate research questions that will address the problems of vulnerable populations, and stipulate possible research projects that possible to conduct in research-constrained settings.