Unit Code: EPI902

Unit Name: Health Emergency Preparedness and Response

Description: In this course, MAE students will either (a) evaluate emergency preparedness capacity to implement the International Health Regulation (IHR); or (b) investigate and respond to a disease outbreak or other health emergency. On successful completion of this course, students will elaborate findings in a mini-thesis or a report of up to 3,000 to 5,000 words for public health professionals (i.e. it needs to meet the standards for publication in a peer reviewed journal) and other relevant stakeholders. The mini-thesis will include: (a) Evaluating preparedness report: Summary description of the context and logic model of the preparedness program, specific objectives of the evaluation, methodology for data collection and analysis, including list of key questions, documents reviewed and people interviewed, analysis and synthesis of the findings, conclusions on strengths, weaknesses, gaps and challenges, recommendations for strengthening the program; or (b) Outbreak report: describe outbreak setting, objectives of the investigation, study design, case definitions, methods of data collection and recording, results of environmental/food/laboratory investigations generate and test hypothesis on cause and risk factors, statistical methods, conclusion, treatment and control measures and their impacts, recommendations to prevent future outbreaks. The report based on at least one of the three mini-theses in EPI900, EPI901 or EPI902 of the MAE programme, must be (a) communicated in an oral presentation at a national or international conference, and (b) prepared as an advanced draft for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

Learning Target Outcomes: On successful completion of this course, the students will be able to: 1. Design a research protocol (including study rationale, problem statement, aims, objectives, literature review and methods). 2. Implement a research study to either evaluate a health information system or a health intervention program for a selected health indicator in order to assess its effectiveness in achieving the objectives of the system/program, and to make recommendations for strengthening the system/program; or establish a new health information system or intervention program to strengthen the effectiveness of a specified program. 3. Demonstrate mastery of evaluating a health information system or a health intervention program or establish a new health information system or intervention program in a report of up to 3,000 to 5,000 words for public health professionals (i.e. it needs to meet the standards for publication in a peer reviewed journal) and other relevant stakeholders.

Prerequisite: EPI831, EPI832, EPI833, EPI834 and EPI 835

Prerequisite Sentence: N/A

Credit Point: 30

Offered In: Semester 2