Course Syllabus
Public Health Emergencies andHealth-Crisis Management |
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| Semester & Location: |
Fall 2024 - DIS Stockholm |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Global Health, Pre-Medicine/Health Science, Public Health |
| Faculty Member: |
Jad Shedrawy and Anton Lager (current students please use the Canvas Inbox) |
| Program Director: |
Susana Dietrich shsupport@dis.dk |
| Time & Place: |
Mondays and Thursdays; 10:05-11:25, Classroom: 1D-410 |
Course Description
Public health emergencies can happen all over the world, but long-term effects vary with the vulnerability of the affected communities. Through case studies and scenario-based classroom discussions, you will become familiar with the disaster-development continuum of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, and the core concepts of pandemics and epidemics. Furthermore, you will investigate the global rise of non-communicable diseases growing to epidemic proportions and the future health impacts of our changing climate.
Learning Objectives
After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Discuss the appropriateness of various measures of disease surveillance and prevention, response preparedness, and mitigation
- Explain and apply core concepts related to pandemics and epidemics and its epidemiology
- Discuss how non-communicable diseases fit within a health emergency framework
- Understand the relevant health indicators when analysing a public health emergency
- Analyse emergency response frameworks and the role of international organisations
- Examine how different public health strategies at national and regional levels can lead to different public health emergency scenarios and outcomes
- Reflect on ethical dilemmas related to public health emergency responses
Faculty
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Jad Shedrawy A reseacher working within the fields of Health Economics, Migrant health, Health Policies and Infectious Diseases Control. Jad obtained his PhD at the Global Public Health department at Karolinska institutet which focused on health economics and Tuberculosis control. Msc in Health Economy, Policy and Management. Bs in Pharmacy. With DIS since 2019. |
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Anton Lager Docent in epidemiology heading a unit for health status and care needs analyses at Region Stockholm as well as doing research at the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet. Previously with the Swedish Ministry of Education and National Institute of Public Health. With DIS since 2024. |
Field Studies
In the first field study, the students will visit MSF, doctors without borders to understand their mission and the core values of the organization that help them succeeding in responding to public health emergencies The second visit is to an expert in international law and affairs with vast experience in health and social crises; from the humanitarian, as well as the political and legal perspective.
Readings
Possible textbooks /excerpts
- Honigsbaum M (2019). The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris
- Katz R & Banaski J (2019). Essentials of Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Management (2nd ed.)
- McKinney S & Mary Elise Papke ME (2019). Public Health Emergency Preparedness: A Practical Approach for the Real World (1st ed.)
- Oldstone MBA. (2020). Viruses, Plagues, and History: Past, Present and Future (2nd ed.)
- Smith M & Upshur R (2019). “Pandemic Disease, Public Health, and Ethics,” in The Oxford Handbook of Public Health Ethics, edited by Mastroianni AC, Kahn JP, and Kass NE (New York: Oxford University Press).
- CDC (2019). Psychology of a Crisis (e-publication). https://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/ppt/CERC_Psychology_of_a_Crisis.pdf
- WHO (2018). Managing Epidemics: Key Facts About Major Deadly Diseases (e-publication)
Possible articles
- Barnett D, Taylor H, Hodge J & Links J (2009). Resource Allocation on the Frontlines of Public Health Preparedness and Response: Report of a Summit on Legal and Ethical Issues. Public Health Reports (1974-), 124(2), 295-303. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25682207
- Bennett B, & Carney T (2011). Pandemic Preparedness in Asia: A Role for Law and Ethics? Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 23(3), 419-430. jstor.org/stable/26723649
- Ramsbottom A, O'Brien E, Ciotti L, Takacs J. Enablers and Barriers to Community Engagement in Public Health Emergency Preparedness: A Literature Review. J Community Health. 2018 Apr;43(2):412-420. doi: 10.1007/s10900-017-0415-7.
- Bezirtzoglou, C., Dekas, K., & Charvalos, E. (2011). Climate changes, environment and infection: facts, scenarios and growing awareness from the public health community within Europe. Anaerobe, 17(6), 337–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2011.05.016
- Condis M (2019). Playing with Other People's Lives: A Critical Expansion for Pandemic. Resilience: A Journal of the Environmental Humanities, 7(1), 87-100. jstor.org/stable/10.5250/resilience.7.1.0087
- Dorn AV, Cooney RE, Sabin ML (2020). COVID-19 exacerbating inequalities in the US. Lancet 395(10232):1243-1244. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30893-X
- Gostin L & Wiley L (Eds.) (2018). Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader. Oakland, California: University of California Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctv5j024v
- GRANTA (2020). How much faith can we place in coronavirus antibody tests? https://granta.com/how-to-interpret-coronavirus-antibody-tests/
- Kelman I. (2020). COVID-19: what is the disaster?. Social anthropology : the journal of the European Association of Social Anthropologists = Anthropologie sociale, 10.1111/1469-8676.12890. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/1469-8676.12890
- London L (2008). What Is a Human-Rights Based Approach to Health and Does It Matter? Health and Human Rights, 10(1), 65-80. doi:10.2307/20460088
- Mamelund SE (2018). 1918 pandemic morbidity: The first wave hits the poor, the second wave hits the rich. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 12(3):307-313.
- Noji E (1992). Disaster Epidemiology: Challenges for Public Health Action. Journal of Public Health Policy, 13(3), 332-340. doi:10.2307/3342732
- Pellowski JA, Kalichman SC, Matthews KA, Adler N. A pandemic of the poor: social disadvantage and the U.S. HIV epidemic. Am Psychol. 2013;68(4):197-209.
- Bell M et al. Individual and neighborhood risk factors of hospital admission and death during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based cohort study. BMC Medicine. 21 (2023).
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12916-022-02715-4.pdf
Web Resources
- Lancet: The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change
- WHO: Emergencies, Disease Outbreaks (webpage)
- WHO: Preventing epidemics and pandemics (webpage)
- CfR: Timeline: Major Epidemics of the Modern Era
Grading
To be eligible for a passing grade in this class all of the assigned work must be completed.
The factors influencing the final grade and the proportional importance of each factor are shown below:
Participation (10%)
Group project (35%)
Midterm (30%)
Final paper (25%)
Participation
Participation in class requires arriving on time and being prepared in relation to readings and other assignments. Your participation grade reflects the importance of being active in this course, which relies in great part on the reflections, discussions, and exercises in class. Active participation is essential in both the classroom, on study tours, and in group work. Attendance is mandatory.
Midterm Test
A multiple-choice exam that will assess the knowledge of the students.
Group Project
Semester-long group project on crisis management. Each group will be given a scenario for an upcoming disaster in a specific setting and will act as a humanitarian organisation that will be tasked with responding to the disaster when it happens. Please see the assignments section for more details. more details will be given during the class discussion
Final paper
The students will reflect on their learning throughout the course through a final paper. Please see the assignments section for more details. more details will be given in class.
Detailed assignment descriptions are available in the Assignments section on Canvas and will also be explained in class.
Expectations of the Students
- Laptops may be used for note‐taking, fact‐checking, or assignments in the classroom, but only when indicated by the instructor. At all other times, laptops and electronic devices should be put away during class time.
- Reading must be done prior to the class session; a huge part of the class is dependent on discussions in class.
- Students need to be present and participate to receive full credit. The final grade will be affected by unexcused absences and lack of participation. Remember to be in class on time!
- Classroom etiquette includes being respectful of other opinions, listening to others and entering a dialogue in a constructive manner.
- Students are expected to ask relevant questions in regards to the material covered.
Teaching Methods
Different teaching formats will be used. The course may be a mix of interactive lectures, class discussions, group work, student presentations and peer feedback. Traditional theoretical knowledge acquisition will be combined with problem-based learning techniques. A major part of the course will be based on debating issues, and students are expected to engage actively in oral presentations, discussions, group work and exercises.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
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