phc4188: public health emergencies in large populations (phelp)

CollegeofPublicHealthUniversityofSouthFlorida

Syllabus

Departmentof GlobalHealth Syllabus

Course Name: Public Health Emergencies in Large Populations (PHELP) Prefix & Number: PHC 4188 Section: .001 Ref# 22597 Semester: Spring, 2015

Course Description:

This course is designed to develop or improve the skills of persons interested in providing emergency health services in global humanitarian emergencies for refugees and displaced populations.

Credit hours: 3

Pre-Requisites: N/A

Co-Requisites: N/A

Location: CPH 2016

Instructor Information:

Instructor 1 Instructor 2 Instructor 3

Elizabeth A. Dunn, MPH, CPH

College of Public Health

Office Hours: By Appointment

Cell Phone: 361-510-7935

Email: [email protected]

Email contact preferred

You will receive a response to your email in 24-48 hours.

Required Materials: Medecins San Frontieres (1997). Refugee Health: An Approach to

Emergency Situations. MacMillian Education Ltd.: London & Basingstoke.

*** Readings and links to websites that will be required for this course can be found in electronic form on the Canvas course site & can be accessed under the Modules tab within the Section for that week.

Recommended Materials:

Additional research is expected for class assignments, and additional readings will be assigned and/or recommended

Readings required for this course can be found on the Canvas course site under the Modules tab within the appropriate Section. Texts may also be available from several off-campus bookstores and online vendors, such as www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.


Syllabus

Course Format: This course will contain thirteen (13) interrelated Sections designed to provide a general introduction to the skills and topics needed to provide emergency health services in global humanitarian emergencies for refugees and displaced populations. Class meets once a week (Mondays) throughout the Spring Semester from 5pm to 7:45pm. The format of this course focuses on in-class lectures, presentations, discussions, and class activities in addition to readings & assignments completed outside of the classroom. Materials and instructions for homework assignments can be found online in Canvas under the Modules tab (located on the left-hand side of the PHC 4188.001 course page). After you have selected the Modules tab, scroll down to the appropriate Section to retrieve the content for the coming week.


Syllabus

Learning Objectives: (Objectives must be numbered)

By the end of the course participants will be able to: 1. Develop a thorough understanding of refugees and displaced populations, and identify their needs. 2. Assess the challenges of providing care to displaced populations and identify at least two methods of assessment for specific emergency situations in the field. 3. Develop and implement one general or one specific assistance health program for a displaced population. 4. Foresee the possible development of immediate assistance projects into development programs. 5. Collect information and conduct public health surveillance to provide care to refugees and displaced populations. 6. Develop an understanding of what it takes to control communicable diseases during an emergency situation. 7. Recognize the mental health consequences of disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies. 8. Develop a seamless approach to provision of services among humanitarian organizations and describe the roles of different agencies in disasters. 9. Develop, implement, and monitor adequacy of services provided to affected populations. 10. Assess choices made in the field by their ethical implications.


Syllabus

Assessment Strategies: (Strategies must be numbered)

1. Class Participation. Each week the course instructor will provide lectures on the readings and provide their insights and perspectives on the material. It is strongly encouraged that students be prepared to ask questions, make comments, and provide their own insights and experiences to supplement the material.

Students are expected to actively engage in class discussions and class activities about the assigned readings and related concepts. Students’ participation will be evaluated in terms of the following: (a) attendance (b) apparent thoughtfulness of comments; (c) active engagement during class activities; and (d) ability to keep an open mind, even when discussing controversial viewpoints. 2. Skill-building Activities. A majority of the class meetings will include a segment devoted to skill building instruction and exercises. These skill building exercises are designed to provide students with an introduction to the tools needed for developing the competences needed to respond to public health emergencies. There will be four in-class assignments where the students will be placed into groups to complete an activity. The group tasks will be to discuss key topics and identify problem solving ideas to share with the class. Activities will be distributed and explained in class. Skill-building Activities will account for 15% of your final grade. 3. Homework Assignments. Each week take-home questions will be given to students in correlation with the readings, videos or case studies that are assigned. These questions are designed to encourage the students to think about key elements pertaining to the readings and will prepare students for the exams. Instructions and any additional materials required to complete each homework assignment will be posted on Canvas. Homework Assignments will account for 33% of your final grade. 4. Exams. There will be two exams in this course (a Mid-term & a Final exam) that will be comprised of true/false, multiple-choice, short-answer, and/or essay questions. Each exam will only include the subject matter listed prior to the exam date on the syllabus and is not cumulative. Exam materials will include information from the textbook, handouts, videos, and class lectures/slides/discussions. Exams will account for 52% of your final grade.


Syllabus

This course meets the following competencies for Global Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance

Competency

Learning Objectives

Assessment Strategies

4.) Understand at least two methods of assessment for specific emergency situations in the field.

1, 2, 4, 10

1-4

5.) Develop, implement, and monitor adequacy of services provided to affected populations.

1-10

1-4


Syllabus

Grading Scale and Criteria:

COURSE GRADING CRITERIA:

Assessment Strategies Number of Assignments/

Lectures

Number of Points per

Assignment

Total # of Points for the

Semester

Percentage of Total Grade

Homework Assignments

13 10 points 130 points 33%

Skill-building Activities (In-class)

4 15 points 60 points 15%

Mid-term Exam 1 100 points 100 points 26%

Final Exam 1 100 points 100 points 26%

Total 390 points 100%

Course Grading Scale: 90% of total points (390 to 350 points) = A

80% of total points (349 to 311 points) = B

70% of total points (310 to 272 points) = C

60% of total points (271 to 233 points) = D

50% of total points (232 & below) = F

Grading will be determined through a grading system of A, B, C, D, or F. No + or – will be given.

Grading Policies: Students are advised to pay careful attention to directions for each assignment.

Student grades will be updated regularly on Canvas. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor their grades to ensure that they are aware of their progress in this course.

Late Assignments: All assignments must be turned in by the due date on the course schedule, unless otherwise notified by the instructor. No makeup of missed work will be allowed. Failure to complete any assignment will not constitute an excuse for being assigned an "I" grade in the course. Exceptions to this policy will be made only in the case of severe illness, documented family emergency, or similar problem.


Syllabus

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance:

Class attendance will be taken into consideration when evaluating students’ participation in the course and will be taken randomly throughout the semester. Each unexcused absence will result in a deduction from the students Class Participation score. **Exams and skill-building activities missed during an unexcused absence cannot be made up. All excused absences will require documentation!

Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, at least one week prior to the absence.

An absent student is responsible for all materials and announcements presented in the classroom and should contact a classmate to receive any missed information (or) should meet with the professor after class or request an appointment by email to receive any missed information. See Institutional Policies section for Emergency Preparedness for Academic Continuity.

Permission to Use Lectures:

All unauthorized recordings of class are prohibited. Recordings that accommodate individual student needs must be approved in advance and may be used for personal use during the semester only; redistribution is prohibited.

Instructors Expectations:

Preparation. Students are expected to stay current on course readings and course content. Assigned material for each Section should be read prior to class. Students are expected to check on Canvas on a regular basis for updates and reminders. Participation. Active participation and attendance is expected. Active participation includes attentiveness and engagement in classroom discussions and/or skill-building activities. Participation in discussions requires maturity and thought. Students should treat each other with respect and kindness. Sensitivity to Diversity. Students should remember that others in the group may differ in cultural background, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity or gender expression and should be careful about making insensitive or careless remarks.

Incomplete Policy: COPH policy: http://publichealth.usf.edu/academicaffairs/academic_procedures.html

Field Trip Policy: N/A

Class Participation: Each week the course instructor will provide lectures on the readings and provide their insights and perspectives on the material. It is strongly encouraged that students be prepared to ask questions, make comments, and provide their own insights and experiences to supplement the material.

Students are expected to actively engage in class discussions and class activities about the assigned readings and related concepts. The goal of class participation is to promote open discussion and express varying viewpoints. Class participation will be evaluated and affect a student’s final grade. Students should remain respectful of all people in the classroom, both students and the instructor, during class discussions. Disrespectful communication to others will not be tolerated.


Syllabus

Course Calendar

Date Assignment Due (Prior to Class)

Topic/Questions to Address

5 January

Syllabus, Introduction of Course, Overview of Refugees & Displaced Populations:

o What types of disasters are there? o What is the disaster management cycle? o What is the difference between a refugee, IDP, and economic migrant? o How is a population affected by disaster? o Effects of public health emergencies on the local system. o How does sustainability impact recovery? What is the importance of sustainable

humanitarian action? 12 January Syllabus Quiz &

HW Section 2: Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya, Africa Video Analysis

Basics of Public Health Emergencies in Large Populations: o Historical analysis of response to disasters o International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) o Case Studies: Chicago Fire, San Francisco Earthquake, WWI, WWII, Cold War,

Natural Disasters, Refugees, Civil War & Genocide o Public Health Emergencies in Large Populations in the 21st Century o What is the future of Public Health in Disaster Response and Recovery?

19 January

No Class

26 January HW Section 3: Developing an Assessment Checklist

Planning and Initial Assessment: o What is surveillance? o How does the collection of information important in humanitarian emergencies and

disaster management? o What types of data collection are used? o Who is needed in developing an assessment team? What is needed for that team

to accomplish their goals? o Learn about the basic planning cycle for the initial assessment. o What questions will need to be asked when conducting the assessment?

Skill-building Activity #1

2 February HW Section 4: Sheltering & Site Planning Journal Assignment

Shelter and Site Planning: o Refugee camp vs. Refugee Settlements o What influences the situation? o Identify shelter and site planning concerns. o What criteria are essential for site selection? o What is needed to design a refugee camp and what are the main installations? o Identify different types of shelter?

9 February HW Section 5: Quality vs. Quantity Activity

Environmental Health: o Identify key environmental health issues that occur following a disaster or complex

humanitarian emergency. o What are the effects of chemical, biological and radiological emergency incidents? o How is water impacted by natural and man-made disasters? o Discuss the 5 types of excreta related diseases. o Case Study: Maldives & Cambodia


Syllabus

16 February HW Section 6: Innovation for Community Resilience Discussion

Communicable Diseases: o Examine the communicable disease cycle o What are the main causes of morbidity and mortality in emergencies? o How do you control communicable diseases during a public health emergency? o What are the steps for an epidemic investigation? o What are the appropriate preventative measures to lessen the spread of

communicable diseases? o Case Study: Zombie Pandemic


23 February HW Section 7: Ghosts of Abu Ghraib Documentary - Mental Health Video Analysis

Mental Health: o Who am I? Explore your personality. Be clear about your values and beliefs. o How do you provide comfort and support following disaster or public health

emergency? o What do refugees and victims of disaster have to face? What is the impact of high

levels of stress? o Be able to identify signs of stress. What should public health workers watch for

when working with survivors of traumatic incidents? o UNHCR and their views on Mental Health o Case Study: Rwanda & Abu Ghraib

2 March Spring Break: No Class or Assignments due this Week

9 March Mid-term Exam (100pts)

16 March HW Section 8: Food & Nutrition Quiz

Food and Nutrition: o Understanding the importance of nutrition and growth for vulnerable populations o What are nutrition emergency, famine, and early warning systems? o What are some early warning indicators and causes of food and nutrition

emergencies? o How do you respond to a food emergency or food security situation? o How can technology be used to monitor famine? o Case Study: Dadaab, Niger and the Sahel


23 March HW Section 9: Current Events and Implementing Healthcare Services

Implementing Health Services: o Importance of mass casualty triage o How is technology being utilized in disaster response and in providing health

services following a disaster? o Examine healthcare in the Emergency phase. o What criteria should be fulfilled for a successful healthcare system in refugee

emergencies? o What are the levels of healthcare? o Examine the needs for children when developing a healthcare system. o What are the needs for reproductive healthcare? o What are the steps needed in developing a successful public health program? o What is in place for national emergency response following a natural disaster? o Case Study: Afghanistan, Guinea, and Zambia


Syllabus

30 March HW Section 10: Questions for Guest Speaker

Human Rights and Security: o What are our basic human rights? What is the history behind human rights law? o What is International Humanitarian Law? o What is the International Criminal Court? o Case Studies: Violations of Human Rights

6 April HW Section 11: Understanding Agencies Working in Emergency Response Assignment

Coordination and Inter-relationships of Agencies: o Who’s who in humanitarian response? o Who are the governmental departments and agencies involved? NGOs? o What is the EOC? o Deeper look into the United Nations, USAID, UNICEF, WFP, IASC and OCHA. o Brief history of Non-governmental organizations (NGOs). o Humanitarian and military collaboration


13 April HW Section 12: Military Intervention in Humanitarian Operations Discussion

Governmental Response to Emergencies: o What is the role of our national government in a disaster? o What are the types of assistance here in the United States? o What is the share of humanitarian aid provided from governments globally? o Examining the role of military in providing aid. o What are the Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)? o Case Study: US Coast Guard, Kentucky National Guard, USPHS, US Air Force

Reserve, NOAA, and USNS Comfort & Mercy o Case Study: Japan & Haiti

20 April HW Section 13: Resettlement and Ethics Assignment

Resettlement and Ethical Issues: o Repatriation and resettlement following displacement o Who is involved in the resettlement process? o How does politics affect the humanitarian response? o Case Study: Cambodia

27 April

Final Exam (100pts)


Syllabus

Reference List

Cahill, K. M. (Ed.). (2003a). Emergency Relief Operations. New York: Fordham University Press. Davis, J. & Lambert, R. (2002). Engineering in Emergencies: A Practical Guide for Relief Workers. London: Intermediate Technology Publications. Medecins Sans Frontieres. (1997). Refugee Health: An Approach to Emergency Situations. London: MacMillan Education Ltd. Medecins Sans Frontieres. (2006). Rapid Health Assessment of Refugee or Displaced Populations. (3*ed.) Medecins Sans Frontieres. (2010). Public Health Engineering in Precarious Situations. (2*ed.) Noji, E. K. & Toole, M. J. (1997). The Historical Development of Public Health Responses to Disasters. Disasters, 21(4), 366–376. Noji, E. K. & Toole, M. J. (1997). The Public Health Consequences of Disasters. Ch. 20, 419-442. Oxfam. (1994). Health Care for Refugees and Displaced Populations. Assessment and Planning. Perrin, P. (1996). War and public health: Handbook on War and Public Health. Geneva: International Committee of the Red Cross. Redlener, Irwin, & Reilly, M. J. (13 Dec 2012). Lessons from Sandy- Preparing Health Systems for Future Disasters. The New England Journal of Medicine, 367(24) 2269-2271 Roberts, L., Chartier, Y., Chartier, O., Malenga, G., Toole, M. & Rodka, H. (2001). Keeping Clean Water Clean in a Malawi Refugee Camp: A Randomized Intervention Trial. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 79(4), 280-287. Smith, M., & Reed, R. (1991). Water and Sanitation for Disasters. Tropical Doctor, 21(1), 30-37. World Food Program. (2002). Emergency Field Operations Pocketbook.

Website List

http://www.forcedmigration.org/ http://www.sphereproject.org/ http://www.unhcr.org/ http://www.phe.gov/emergency/events/sandy/Pages/default.aspx http://www.icrc.org/eng/


Syllabus

Additional Course Information

Definitions and Responses: How do we define a disaster? Definitions used in disaster management. What is a complex humanitarian emergency? Who is a refugee? Who looks after refugees and internally displaced persons?

Disaster Management: How best to prepare a response to an emergency? What are the expected hazards? Who are in the vulnerable populations? What is the magnitude of risk?

Conducting Assessments. Populations affected by emergencies have urgent public health needs. Predicting and measuring these needs are critical to an effective response effort. Identifying at risk populations.

Responding to Needs: Priority of needs must be determined and urgent needs met as quickly as possible. Yet, effectiveness must be achieved and long-term outcomes considered.

Environmental Health. Epidemics are common in emergencies because environmental health is frequently of inferior quality than in normal conditions. Basic public health actions can prevent outbreaks if appropriate measures are put into place early.

Food and Nutrition. In emergencies the greatest need is often food. Yet, knowing what supplies are appropriate and distributing them equitably are frequently difficult.

Information and Surveillance. The health status of populations affected by disasters must be monitored in order to improve decision-making.

Communicable Diseases. Populations displaced in emergencies are often at risk of disease, both pre-existing, and those arising from a new or altered environment.

Reproductive Health. Refugees have different reproductive health needs from other populations. Some groups are increasingly at risk from HIV.

Humanitarian Ethics. Maintaining neutrality, humanity, impartiality, independence and assuring equity in access to services is an ethical issue in emergencies.

International Humanitarian Law. Humanitarian measures are guided by the Geneva conventions, which protect the safety of civilians, non-combatants and health workers in a conflict.

Human Rights and Human Security. Violation of basic human rights is often the basis for loss of human security and livelihoods. Awareness may prevent many abuses. Security issues also exist for the humanitarian aid worker operating in the field.


Syllabus

INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES The most recent version of the Institutional Policies information can be found on the Academic Affairs Forms

page at http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/forms.html (Fall 2013)

Student Conduct: USF Student Rights/Responsibilities: http://www.sa.usf.edu/srr/page.asp?id=81

USF Student Code of Conduct: http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/regulations/pdfs/regulation-usf6.0021.pdf

Disruption of Academic Process/Academic Integrity of Students:

Disruption of the academic process and violations of the policies regarding academic integrity will not be tolerated. Review USF policies on Disruption of the Academic Process and the Academic Integrity of Students at:

http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/regulations/pdfs/regulation-usf3.025.pdf

Academic Dishonesty/ Plagiarism:

Plagiarism will not be tolerated and is grounds for failure. (Refer to USF Academic Integrity of Student Policy): http://www.grad.usf.edu/plagiarism.php

The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service (Turnitin), which allows instructors and students to submit student assignments to be checked for plagiarism. I, Ms. Elizabeth Dunn reserve the right to 1.) request that assignments be submitted as electronic files and 2.) submit students’ assignments to Turnitin, or 3.) request students to submit their assignments to Turnitin through the course site. Assignments are compared automatically with a database of journal articles, web articles, the internet and previously submitted papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized.

NOTE: An institution may not release a paper to a plagiarism detection software without the student’s prior consent unless all personally identifiable information has been removed, such as a student’s name, social security number, student number, etc.. Note that a paper/essay is considered an educational record and an institution may not ask a student to waive their rights under FERPA for the purpose of submitting papers to a plagiarism detection software. For more information about Plagiarism and Turnitin, visit: Plagiarism tutorial: http://davon.etg.usf.edu/share/plagiarism/story.html Turnitin: http://turnitin.com/en_us/training/student-training/submitting-a-paper Using Turnitin in Canvas: http://guides.instructure.com/s/2204/m/4212/l/64908-how-do-i-submit-a-turnitin-assignment

Cheating Statement: The USF College of Public Health expects students to maintain academic honesty in all courses. By virtue of being registered in a Public Health course, students agree to refrain from cheating. If cheating in any form (academic dishonesty) is detected, appropriate action will be taken. (Refer to USF Academic Integrity of Students Policy). http://usfweb2.usf.edu/ethics/ai5/01.html

Undergraduate Academic Policies and Procedures:

http://www.ugs.usf.edu/pdf/cat1112/08acapol.pdf


Syllabus

Special Accommodations:

Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult with the office of Services for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations. Students are required to give reasonable notice (typically 5 working days) prior to requesting an accommodation.

Students with Disabilities Services: http://www.sds.usf.edu/

Students: http://www.sds.usf.edu/students.asp

Faculty: http://www.sds.usf.edu/faculty.asp

Holidays and Religious Observances:

http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/policies-and-procedures/pdfs/policy-10-045.pdf

Emergency Preparedness:

In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor the Canvas site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.

Student Grievance Procedure:

Review USF Academic Grievance Policy at: http://generalcounsel.usf.edu/policies-and-procedures/pdfs/policy-10-002.pdf

Undergraduate:

http://www.grad.usf.edu/inc/linked-files/USF_Grad_Catalog_2011-2012.pdf#page=48

Student assistance is provided by Division of Student Affairs, Office of the Student Ombudsman.

http://www.sa.usf.edu/ombudsman

STUDENT RESOURCES

Library Resources: USF Library Resources and Services: http://www.lib.usf.edu/

Shimberg Health Sciences Library: http://library.hsc.usf.edu/

Shimberg Health Sciences Library Tutorials: http://library.hsc.usf.edu/ (follow links under ‘Instructional Services’ section)

Creating Citations & Using Refworks:

http://guides.lib.usf.edu/CitingSources

APA Citation Style Guide & Tutorial (Undergraduates):

Style Guide: http://eta.health.usf.edu/publichealth/APAstyle.pdf

Tutorial: http://eta.health.usf.edu/publichealth/APApresentation/player.html


Syllabus

Netiquette (online communication etiquette):

http://eta.health.usf.edu/publichealth/standards/syllabus/Online_Netiquette.pdf

Plagiarism & Safe Assign:

See Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism Section

USF Email Accounts: http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/eta/pdf/MyUSF_Email.pdf

Canvas Tutorials: http://health.usf.edu/publichealth/eta/student_resources.html

phc4188: public health emergencies in large populations (phelp)

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