This module introduces students to the main concepts, principles and professional methods associated with health protection. It enables them to further develop the epidemiological and problem-solving skills required for communicable disease prevention and outbreak or epidemics. It also explores models for preventing and responding to other incidents or emergencies, including those involving environmental hazards. This will be a focus on vulnerable populations and low resource settings that will enhance students’ abilities to contribute effectively to the delivery of health protection services in any professional work situation worldwide.

The module introduces you to the core principles of health protection using case-studies and scenarios to explore the epidemiology of key infectious diseases and other hazards and to examine evidence-based approaches to prevent, control and reduce risk of outbreaks or emergencies.

The module uses scenario-based learning to investigate an outbreak and help you learn about how communicable disease threats can be tackled in low- and middle-income settings. Surveillance and common methods for preventing transmission and controlling the spread of important communicable diseases are reviewed.

The design, evaluation and management of immunisation programmes is then examined including systems for monitoring vaccine uptake and adverse events. This includes an exploration of the history of immunisation and the status of global efforts to protect populations.

Concepts of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention are studied, including screening as a public health protection intervention.

Legal frameworks for health protection at national and international levels and how they are applied, are reviewed and illustrated with case-studies. Strategic models for disease control, or elimination or eradication will be examined.

Methods for environmental risk assessment and risk communication, and emergency preparedness principles and systems will be considered.

Academic Credit

For an additional fee of £95, you can be entered for full Academic Credits for this course (20 Masters level credits). The academic credits are offered to provide choice and flexibility to all of our students and students who do not wish to do the assessments will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance. Applicants wishing to find out more about the assessment should contact MyLSTM@lstmed.ac.uk(link sends e-mail).

You will be assessed through:
- a report based on a critical review of the prevention and control of one infectious agent of public health importance in a low- or middle-income setting. You will need to include reference to any current relevant national or international legal frameworks, policies and guidance (60%).
- a 15-minute presentation of an individual poster (40%) based on a situation analysis of a major environmental threat to population health in a specific low- or middle-income setting. You will need to include reference to risk and critically review any relevant legal frameworks associated with this and the health system response to this threat.