The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the concept of health, the causes of illness, disease and disability and the ways in which these can be prevented and controlled. The various levels of intervention, different levels of care, and different strategies in instituting control measures will be discussed. Current public health policies and strategies for the control of common public health problems will be presented.
This module introduces the student to the impact of communicable diseases and environmental hazards on the health of a population. The main control and preventative measures for specific communicable diseases (E.g. HIV-AIDS, hepatitis, TB) will be discussed. Principles and practice of surveillance and the roles and responsibilities of public authorities will be included. Although much of the indicative content is based on the UK, the impact of globalisation, international travel and urbanisation on communicable disease and the global pattern of emerging infections will be highlighted.
Case studies of 'real-life' outbreaks will be presented and students encouraged to think about theoretical aspects of implementing disease control programmes in relation to the social and economic context and health services available.

Students will be required to complete 3 pieces of summative assessment.

1. Written case study, 3000 words : 50%. assessing LOs 1 and 2

2. On-line open book exam: 50%. assessing LO's 3 and 4

3. 500 word contribution to a discussion forum, weighted at 0% pass/fail

All elements of assessment must be passed.

Students will receive formative feedback throughout the module comprising a combination of task related feedback and (more importantly) comments on online discussion contributions offered up throughout the module.

Students will follow a twelve week guided study programme and access support material via Blackboard. Students will be required to access additional support material independently. Core required tasks will amount to an average of 8 hours of engagement per week, representing a total of 96 activity engagement hours for the module.

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: (3 hours)
Face to face or Skype tutorials

Guided Independent Study: (297 hours)
The remaining 297 hours represent a combination of further and additional reading and a series of optional tasks (96 hours) and specific preparation for the module assignments

This module will adopt a collaborative approach to learning where, via a series of on-line discussions (that will form part of the assessment process) students will demonstrate their developing understanding of often different and divergent approaches to the control and coordination of sport related skill.

Central to this approach will be a series of on-line debates or discussion issues that will arise out of the `Activities' and accompanying 'Tasks' undertaken within the module. Students will be required to initially outline, defend and subsequently reflect on a position or viewpoint offered, that will be critically commented on by fellow students.

Donaldson L, Scally G (2009). Donaldsons' Essential Public Health. Radcliffe Publishing, (3rd edition).
Hawker J, Begg N, Blair I, Reintjes R, Weinberg J, Ekdahl K, (2012). Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection Handbook. Wiley Blackwell (3rd edition)

Access to an appropriately specified PC, with accompanying Word, PowerPoint, Adobe and Java software.

The overall aims of this module are;


1. Introduce you to the concept of health, the causes of illness, disease and disability and the ways in which these can be prevented and controlled.



2. Discuss the various levels of intervention, different levels of care, public health strategies and different strategies in instituting control measures will be discussed.



3. Examine the impact of communicable diseases and environmental hazards on the health of a population, as well as the role of surveillance, roles and responsibilities of public authorities, impact of globalisation, international travel and global pattern of emerging infections.






Upon successful completion of this module you will have be able to:



1. Critically describe the various levels of intervention and control measures for disease



2. Apply public health principles to screening of populations and describe the basis of current public health policies and strategies for the control of common public health problems



3. Understand the impact of the social, economic and political factors on the distribution and spread of non-communicable and communicable diseases



4. Able to apply the main control and preventative measures for important infections such as HIV-AIDS and TB