PHH4102 - Contemporary and global public health issues - 2017

12 points, SCA Band 2, 0.250 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

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

Faculty

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Organisational Unit

South Africa School of Health Sciences

Coordinator(s)

Nwamaka Nwogwugwu

Unit guides

Offered

South Africa

  • First semester 2017 (Day)
  • First semester 2017 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit aims for students to develop critical and analytic skills as applied to contemporary global public health and health science research. It provides students with advanced knowledge in specific areas of public health and health science from a global context. Seminars will focus on topics such as current public health thinking and practice and global dimensions of local health, as well as on skills in evidence appraisal and systematic searching. Students will be active learners through the presentation of two seminars to the class during the semester, and will lead the discussion that follows. Students will provide a written review of a topic that is related to their specific research project that demonstrates advanced theoretical understanding of the issues and research relating to that topic.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Discuss contemporary global public health issues.
  2. Analyse the relationship of health policy matters to public health.
  3. Develop a systematic search strategy on a specific topic based on a research question, encompassing the development of inclusion-exclusion criteria, a search strategy and table summaries of selected studies.
  4. Critically review the scientific literature relative to a defined research question.
  5. Prepare a report on a public health issue using critical analysis.
  6. Mobilise quantitative and qualitative research skills to analyse public health issues.

Assessment

  • Assignment (20%)
  • Class presentation (20%)
  • Report on a contemporary public health issue (60%)

Workload requirements

Seminar and/or online learning activity (3 hours).

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Off-campus attendance requirements

  • Self-directed learning activity (3 hours)
  • Preparation of research report (1 hour)
  • Unit assessment / assignment / presentation / report (4 hours).

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Health science

Prerequisites

Completion of the 144 credit point, three year Bachelor of Public Health degree or equivalent.

Co-requisites

Prohibitions