units

HSC3041

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2012 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
OfferedCaulfield First semester 2012 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Dr Kathlyn Ronaldson

Synopsis

This unit focuses on prevention and control of communicable diseases. Topics include principles of infection, outbreaks, public health control measures, and current issues in disease prevention and control.
Public health control measures discussed may include surveillance, modelling, immunisation, antimicrobial therapies, infection control, vector control, screening and risk factor management.
These topics are illustrated using relevant examples of communicable diseases such as vaccine-preventable diseases (e.g. influenza); vector-borne diseases (e.g., malaria), food-borne diseases (e.g., salmonella) and sexually transmitted infections (e.g., HIV). Epidemiological, social, and political perspectives are considered.

Outcomes

  1. Identify the distinguishing epidemiological features of infectious diseases
  2. Explain how communicable infections are spread
  3. Interpret epidemiological data on disease surveillance and disease outbreaks
  4. Apply principles of communicable disease prevention to a range of scenarios, and identify which public health prevention and control strategies are appropriate for different diseases
  5. Design and evaluate disease surveillance and control programs
  6. Appreciate the role of social and political factors in disease prevention and control

Assessment

Written assignment 35%
Group presentation 15%
Tutorial exercises 15%
Final exam 35%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Kathlyn Ronaldson

Contact hours

3 contact hours per week plus 9 hours per week private study

Prerequisites

HSC2141