Pandemic Preparedness and Response (POPH90301)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
Contact information
September
clare.strachan@unimelb.edu.au lbennett@unimelb.edu.au
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
OR
Currently enrolled students:
- General information: https://ask.unimelb.edu.au
- Email: Contact Stop 1
Future Students:
- Further Information: https://study.unimelb.edu.au/
Overview
| Availability | September - Dual-Delivery |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject explores pandemic preparedness and response from a multidisciplinary perspective. Focusing on pandemic examples, including but not limited to: SARS, Zika, Swine and Avian Influenza, Ebola, HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, the subject provides students with an intersectoral framework through which to appraise a range of preparedness and response efforts across diverse global contexts. Students will learn how to conceptualise effective pandemic preparedness and response as stemming from the intersection of global systems including human and animal health, political, economic, cultural and environmental systems. A wide range of pandemic and country case studies are presented, with particular attention to equity and inclusion in terms of the diverse and specific needs of, and impacts on, varied populations. Applying an intersectional lens, the subject emphasises lessons learnt that can be translated into future and ongoing pandemic preparedness and responses, as well as highlighting unresolved issues.
This dual delivery subject will be delivered by a multidisciplinary team of experts from Australia and around the world. Topics covered include understanding intersectoral and One Health approaches, outbreak risk assessment and boosting the surge capacity of health systems including preparing and protecting the health work force and maintaining access to essential health services. The subject attends to the importance of community engagement, and communications issues in preparedness and response to pandemics. The utility of different data sources for planning and response, including scientific data, epidemiological data and health systems data is also addressed. Other key topics addressed in the subject are the social and economic impacts of non-pharmaceutical interventions, and the politics of developing and distributing treatments and vaccines for pandemics.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject students will be able to:
- Apply an intersectoral approach to planning and evaluating pandemic preparedness and response, which considers human and animal health systems, political systems, economic systems and environmental systems;
- Evaluate the surge capacities of diverse health systems in responding to outbreaks of highly infectious diseases, so as to be able to plan and review requirements for enabling surge capacity, including for preparing and protecting health workers and other frontline responders, and launching appropriate testing strategies;
- Critically appraise different approaches to community engagement, equity and inclusion in pandemic preparedness so as to be able design inclusive planning and response processes;
- Differentiate the utility of different data sources for pandemic planning and response, and identify alternative strategies for informing planning and response in contexts where data is unavailable;
- Differentiate the political and economic implications of developing and deploying new pharmaceutical treatments and vaccines in response to pandemics, so as to inform responses that are appropriate across different contexts with varied levels of resourcing.
Generic skills
- Generate and articulate academic works appropriate to master level students;
- Critical and creative thinking;
- Ability to make connections between theoretical concepts and practice;
- Be able to examine issues related to pandemic from multiple disciplinary perspectives.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Introductory posts. Students must make a recorded or written introductory post
| Early in the teaching period | N/A |
Three x 400 word blog posts. Student response to discussion questions and peers' posts in the format of blog posts posted on the subject discussion board. Due over the two week teaching block.
| Throughout the teaching period | 20% |
Recorded group presentation focusing on pandemic preparedness, with 4 students per group. Students will be assessed as a group. Presentation length max 1000 words, (20 mins per group)
| 1 week after the end of teaching | 20% |
Written assignment focusing on pandemic response. Students will critically appraise a response to a particular pandemic scenario, choosing from a range of scenarios developed by subject coordinators.
| 4 Weeks after the end of teaching | 60% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- September
Coordinators Clare Strachan and Linda Bennett Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours 30 contact hours constituted of: • Online lessons (asynchronous) x 14 @ 1.5 hours each, 2 lessons per day over 6 days = 21 hrs • 4 webinars x 4 @ 1.5 hours each = 6hrs • Viewing and commenting on group work presentations = 3 hours Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 4 September 2023 to 15 September 2023 Last self-enrol date 6 September 2023 Census date 15 September 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 6 October 2023 Assessment period ends 13 October 2023 September contact information
clare.strachan@unimelb.edu.au lbennett@unimelb.edu.au
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
OR
Currently enrolled students:
- General information: https://ask.unimelb.edu.au
- Email: Contact Stop 1
Future Students:
- Further Information: https://study.unimelb.edu.au/
Time commitment details
12 hours daily required readings: • 2 hours a day x 6 days 30 hours for Group Work components consisting of: • 1 hour initial consultation with subject coordinator • 6 x 2 hour group meetings = 12 • 12 hours independent work on group presentation = 12 hours (final presentation = 1000 words) • 5 hours reading of designated text for group work 18 hours Discussion board activity: • 3 hours per day X 6 days, including blog posts (1200 words in total), introductions and engagement with other students on discussion boards 6 hours Feedback/Feedforward on learning progress: • Subject coordinators / tutors available for 1 hr per day 64 hrs Independent Learning: • 64 hours for 2500 word essay, both reading and drafting essay
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 31 January 2024