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GEK1900_2/GEH1049_2 

PUBLIC HEALTH IN ACTION
   2016/2017, Semester 1
   Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health)
Modular Credits: GEK1900 ( 4 ) / GEH1049 ( 4 )
  Tags: --

Synopsis

TopFrom the global increase in obesity to SARS, a range of health issues and solutions will be explored in differing contexts throughout the world. Working in small groups, students debate and evaluate paths to addressing global health issues in a variety of cultural contexts. For example, lessons learned about tuberculosis in Russia may be applied to the Singaporean context, or students may examine efforts to prevent newborn deaths in developing nations. Students will develop an appreciation of how the health of an entire population impacts individuals and how complex problems can be prevented or addressed using culturally appropriate solutions.

Please note that Lecture Group 1, Lecture Group 2 and Lecture Group 3 are NOT interchangeable as the lecture lineup differs.

For enquiries, please email to: UGHelp_SPH@nus.edu.sg

Learning Outcomes

TopBy the end of the module, students will be able to:​
  1. Use the public health approach (problem, cause, intervention, implementation and monitoring) and the socio-ecological (SE) model as frameworks for understanding and solving of public health problems
  2. Define the epidemiological, biological and socio-economic features of a disease that provide opportunities for successful interventions or present barriers to success
  3. Describe the multi-disciplinary character of public health and the contributions of the students’ own discipline to improving health

Schedule

TopThe lectures and tutorials are combined as a 3 hour block weekly, beginning from Week 1.

What happens during the 3 hour block sessions?

At Week 1 and 2, lectures will be given (9AM to 12PM). Please see the syllabus for details.

During Weeks 3 to Week 12, the class will involve:
  1. A quiz at the beginning for each lecture, 9pm sharp. There will be no makeup for late comers. This counts towards 10% of your total CA. The quiz (5 MCQs) will be based on the compulsory reading for the session, for which information will be published in IVLE under the weekly schedule.
  2. The lecture starts after the quiz. This will be given by one of our expert guest lecturers on a topic that changes from week to week. See the syllabus for details.
  3. At 9:55am, students will be asked to go with their groupmates to the assigned rooms to work on a question given in class. A short report of what the group discussed should be prepared.
  4. Students to upload their reports via IVLE by 10:45am.
  5. Students have a break of 10 minutes.
  6. Students to be seated by 11am.
  7. From 11am there will be a class discussion of the topic covered in the lecture and break out sessions. Students have the opportunity to ask questions or to give their opinions in groups.
At Week 13, there will be a wrap-up lecture and an opportunity for students to clarify any questions on the final assignment.

The following sessions are fixed for the weeks indicated:

 
Week Topic
1 Speaker: Prof Chia Kee Seng
 
Title: What is Public Health?
 
Short Synopsis: Public health is different from clinical medicine. The focus is on the healthy: to promote their health and prevent the onset of diseases. Using the examples of colon cancer, SARS and type II diabetes, the session will explore the differences between "Public Health" and "Clinical Medicine", different levels of prevention and the evolution of Public Health.
 
Objectives of Seminar:
1.     To be able to describe the difference between "Public Health" and "Clinical Medicine".
2.     To be able to differentiate between primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.
3.     To be able to describe the differences between "Old" and "New" Public Health
Speaker: Assoc Prof Jeannette Lee
 
Title: About this module: Assessment , Assignments & Groups
2 Speaker: Assoc Prof Jeannette Lee
1.     The Public Health approach:  problem, cause, intervention, implementation and monitoring
2.     The socio-ecological (SE) model, lead into assignment 1: “Your health and the SE model”

Due Date for assignment 1:
11 September 2016, 6PM (submit in Word Document format via Turnitin/ IVLE, please include name and matriculation number in document name)
Speaker: Assoc Prof Alex Cook
1.       Identifying credible sources of information
2.       Literature search (overview plus hands on search)
13 Speaker: Assoc Prof Jeannette Lee 
 
1.  Module Summary
2.  Announcement
3. Peer review

 
Individual take home test (max 1000 words per question) 40%
In week 12, questions will be released to the students. Students will have a chance to discuss and clarify with the lecturers in week 13. Students are to submit via IVLE. Max word count excludes references.
 
Due Date for assignment 2:
13 November 2016, 6PM (submit in Word Document format via Turnitin/ IVLE, please include name and matriculation number in document name)

Syllabus

TopPLEASE NOTE THAT THE CLASSES ARE 3 HOURS PER WEEK, BEGINNING FROM WEEK 1. 

Classes will be in 3 hours block - starting from week 1 onwards. Please see Schedule. Please note that tutorial classes will be allocated randomly by the school as it does not affect class grouping.

The lecture topics by week  will be drawn from the list below (in no particular order) from Week 3 to Week 12.
The actual lineup will be available in the lesson plan prior to class starts.
 
Topic
Speaker: Assoc Prof Rob Van Dam
 
Title: Nutrition, obesity and cardiovascular disease

Short Synopsis:  What we eat and drink can affect our health in many ways. A lack of essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, selected fatty acids and amino acids) can lead to severe deficiency diseases and low energy or protein intake can lead to malnutrition. Excess energy intake, 'overeating', can also lead to ill health: accumulation of too much body fat can interfere with normal metabolism and contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain types of cancer. In terms of public health interventions, it is increasingly realized than only educational initiatives have limited impact on improving lifestyles. An approach where healthier choices become easy or even default choices by changing the food and physical activity environmental is also warranted. This lecture will be an opportunity to engage students in a discussion on novel policies and interventions to improve dietary intakes of the population and contain the future burden of chronic diseases.

Objectives:
1. To know about the global prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases and how economic transitions are typically accompanied by epidemiological and dietary transitions.
2. To have a basic understanding about the ways that dietary intakes can affect the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases
3. To reflect on determinants of dietary intakes in the populations and a diversity of intervention and policy initiatives that can improve dietary intakes and reduce the incidence of chronic diseases.

 
Speaker: Dr Raymond Lim
 
Title: HIV prevention education in Singapore: Challenges for the future

Short Synopsis:  
This seminar will focus on a critical review of HIV treatment and prevention education in Singapore. Some of the latest developments in HIV prevention will also be discussed such as using treatment as prevention (TasP).

Objectives:
1. To have a basic understanding of public health communication on sensitive topics
2. To appreciate the need for social and behavioral interventions
3. To appreciate the social stigma and ethical issues in HIV treatment and prevention

 
Speaker: Dr Mark Chen

Title: What makes communicable diseases so special?
 
Short Synopsis: 
Communicable diseases involve the interaction between host organisms and microbes, giving rise to some special properties not seen in non-communicable diseases, with interesting implications.
 
Objectives: 

1. To gain an appreciation of the properties of infectious diseases that make them so special;
2. To understand how these properties affect the way we study, control and prevent communicable diseases
 
Speaker: Assoc Prof Sri Chander
 
Title: Maternal and Child Health
 
Short synopsis: Investing in the health of women and children is critical for every nation’s development. The countdown to meet the global Millennium Developments goals for child and maternal mortality reduction is less than a year away—end 2015. What is the current state of progress? We will discuss the main challenges and critical program gaps encountering women, children, providers, and policymakers in some of the world's most vulnerable communities. How can the global community’s collective commitment ensure that more children live past their fifth birthday and fewer women die or suffer complications during pregnancy and childbirth?  We will learn how a life course perspective can be applied to gain a critical understanding of maternal and child health issues. 

Objectives:
1. To discuss the causes and trends of new born, infant, child, adolescent and maternal deaths and illnesses
2. To understand key factors (gender, behavioural, socio-cultural, economic, geographic & policy, etc) influencing their vulnerability to disease and /or death
3. To describe and critically evaluate responses to mitigate these preventable deaths and illnesses

 
Speaker: Prof Ong Choon Nam
 
Title: Forest Fires, Climate Change & Singapore: Challenges, Opportunities, Partnerships
 
Short synopsis: This lecture cum seminar will focus on the interactions on environment sustainability for Singapore and the region and how it will affect public health. Some of the recent development and topical issues such as forest fires, haze and climate change on public health will also be discussed.
 
Objectives:
Have a basic understanding of
1. What are the major environmental factors that will affect public health in Singapore and the region?
2. Why a sustainable environment is critical to public health?
3. What are the main challenges to maintain a sustainable environment?
4. How can we have a sustainable environment?

 
Speaker: Assoc Prof Teo Yik Ying
 
Title: Public Health in the Era of Genomics
 
Short synopsis:  This seminar will provide an introduction to how the advent of genomic technology is expected to impact multiple aspects of public health and the practice of clinical medicine. This seminar will also review the development of genomics in pharmacology, infectious and chronic diseases, the integration of population cohort studies with genetics and the challenges and opportunities present in public health genomics.
 
Objectives:
1. To appreciate the different facets of public health that are impacted by the genomic revolution
2. To understand the challenges and opportunities that the genomic era presents for public health
3. To realize the importance in gearing up the healthcare agencies to understand, interpret and utilize genomic information in the formulation of public health policies.

 
Speaker: Assoc Prof Mikael Hartman
 
Title: Breast Cancer: epidemiologic methods to understand it and its risk factors
 
Short Synopsis:
Using breast cancer as an example, this module covers measurement of health, disease states and their risk factors in populations using routine hospital or population data and epidemiologic surveys for the prevention or early detection of disease. Principles in the design and conduct of observational epidemiologic studies and associated potential bias and confounding will be introduced. Screening for disease, in particular the principles behind this, will also be briefly covered.
 
Objectives:
1. To receive an overview of  epidemiology and epidemiological methods to study breast cancer
2. To understand the risk factors associated with breast cancer and appreciate how this could change over time for different populations.
3. To be aware of screening for breast cancer, its options and limitations.

 
Speaker: Dr Hanh Hao La

Title: Estimating sizes of key populations

Short Synopsis:
We often know the prevalence of a disease in populations at risk, yet we do not know the size of these key populations. Estimates of key populations are needed to help with policy and program planning and management.  Using HIV as a case example, this seminar will discuss indirect and direct methods to estimate the size of key, and often hidden, populations.

Objectives:
1. To receive an overview of direct and indirect methods of estimating sizes of key populations at risk for HIV
2. To understand the advantages and disadvantages of each method
3. To appreciate how estimates of key populations can be used in HIV policy and programming decisions
 
Speaker: Assoc Prof Alex Cook
 
Title: Controlling dengue in Singapore
 
Short synopsis: Dengue is a vector borne disease that is endemic to Singapore and that has large health and economic impacts on the country. Unlike influenza or many other viruses, dengue is in a sense easier to control, because without the mosquito, there can be no transmission of the virus, and as a result, Singapore invests a lot in vector control. Despite this, the virus continues to circulate. In this class, we will look at the epidemiology of dengue in Singapore and consider what are the factors that prevent us from eliminating dengue.

Objectives:
At the end of the class, students should have a good understanding of the basic epidemiology of dengue, methods we are using to prevent dengue transmission, and new methods of vector control that are being developed.
 
Speaker: Assoc Prof Norbert Ludwig Wagner

Title: The Health of Workers – how our tastes shape the health of people globally 

Short Synopsis: 
People have to work to sustain themselves and to create a future for their families. Work therefore shapes our life and the life of others. Through the globalization of production, trade and consumption the health of millions of people around the globe are connected and determined. We will look at working conditions in the formal and informal sector, the risks and chances work creates for a healthy life and how our own tastes and fashions shape the fate of people in other continents.

Objectives:
1. Name major diseases and occupational risks that contribute to the current global burden of disease through work
2. Identify examples how consumption patterns in one part of the world influence living conditions in other parts of the world and potentially contribute to health inequalities
3. Discuss social and working conditions of the informal sector of economy

Teaching Modes

Top
155 mins per session, of which (week 1 and week 2)
  1. Lecture: 9:00AM to 11:35AM [NAK-AUD
  2. Note: although the timetable has 1h of tutorial from 10am to 11am, we will replace this by lectures in weeks 1 and 2.
155mins per session, of which (week 3 to week 12)
  1. Topic Lecture: 9:00AM to 9:55AM (including a quiz at the beginning - no makeup for late comers) [NAK-AUD]
  2. Tutorial (Breakout into assigned groups and rooms): 10:00AM to 10:45AM
  3. Lecture/ Discussion/ Conclusion: 11:00AM to 11:35AM [NAK-AUD]
155 mins per session, of which (week 13)
  1. Lecture: 9:00AM to 11:35AM [NAK-AUD]

Assessment

Top
The module is assessed 100% by continual assessment. There is no final exam for this module.

Continual assessment has the following components:
  1. 10% Individual Quiz: weekly from Week 3 onwards, at the start of each class. Each quiz will be comprise 5 MCQs.
  2. 20% Individual Assignment 1: Essay, due 11 September 2016 (TBC), 6PM (submit in Word Document format via IVLE, please include name and matriculation number in document name)
  3. 40% Individual Assignment 2: Two essays, each counting 20%, due 13 November 2016 (TBC), 6PM (submit in Word Document format via Turnitin/ IVLE, please include name and matriculation number in document name).
  4. 25% Group work: weekly from Week 3 onwards, covering the work done in the tutorial slot (via Turnitin/ IVLE, please include group number in document name). This will be moderated based on a peer review score as described in class.
  5. 5% Constructive Group Participation during class discussions.

Preclusions

TopNIL

Workload

Top0-3-0-3-4

Workload Components : A-B-C-D-E
A: no. of lecture hours per week
B: no. of tutorial hours per week
C: no. of lab hours per week
D: no. of hours for projects, assignments, fieldwork etc per week
E: no. of hours for preparatory work by a student per week

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