INTHE4117 ¨C Global epidemics

Course content

This course considers the changing nature of global epidemics of infectious diseases and the global, national and local responses to these, including the role of research and evaluation. It looks into the historical, social, cultural, economic and political factors surrounding epidemic threats such as the Covid-19 pandemic, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and the flu, their prevention and control. We will examine gender relations; poverty; stigma and discrimination; vulnerable populations; and community-based prevention and control; as well as global responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and to HIV/AIDS, from drugs, vaccines and patient activism to ¡®global health¡¯ interventions.

Attention will also be given to understanding the role of biosecurity in framing global epidemics and the relation of responses to epidemic to health systems development. We will critically explore digital technologies and their transformation within the context of epidemics, how digital technologies shape epidemic preparedness and response, health systems, disease surveillance, and the political economy of epidemics. The course will attend to ethical issues surrounding pandemics and epidemics management and response. ??

This course will build upon the Fundamentals of International Community Health Course (INTHE4019) but with a specific focus on issues surrounding infectious epidemics, the interaction between biology and social factors, historical processes, and the political architectures of response to epidemics.??Indicative course content (topics):

Topics covered will include:

1. The global history of epidemics and responses to it, with particular accent on the HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and the flu. Impact in different countries and on particular communities; and the changing nature of the epidemics over time.
2. Recent epidemics such as the Covid-19 pandemic, with emphasis on placing epidemics within the broader historical, social, and political processes.
3. The role of gender, sexuality, poverty and stigma in the epidemic, and the socio-economic contexts of exposure.
4. Prevention as ¡®social public health¡¯. The role of the community in HIV prevention; and the role of researchers and health professionals in partnerships for prevention.
5. Architectures of response, including the role of international and global organizations; "global health" interventions, epidemic preparedness and global biosecurity; "community-based" responses and their engagements with prevention and treatment; activism.
6. The positive and negative impact of responses to epidemics on health systems.
7. The role of digital technologies: how they shape global epidemics preparedness and response, health systems, disease surveillance and the political economy of epidemics.
8. Ethical issues that have arisen within globally-funded clinical trials on vaccines and anti-infective medicines in Africa.
9. Important developments, such as drug therapies, national and international control strategies or vaccination programmes. Associated success and challenges, and their relations to issues such as poverty, gender relations and nutrition.
10. The link between communicable and non- communicable diseases through a focus on co-infections and co-morbidity; lessons learned from HIV-AIDS in relation to other epidemic threats will be discussed. ?Students will be encouraged to critically assess the commonalities and differences between epidemics such as Covid-19, HIV/AIDS, TB, and the flu. What do they have in common regarding location, vulnerable populations, and the architectures of response including interactions with national health systems?

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:?

• contrast the impact of epidemics such as the Covid-19, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and the flu in different countries and communities.
• explain the gender, poverty, and stigma dimensions of epidemics.
• illustrate the links between HIV and TB regarding vulnerable population, prevention and treatment issues.
• outline the current and future patterns of epidemic prevention, treatment, care, and intervention.
• explain the architecture of response:?programmes and interventions - including global, national and community-level responses, and biosecurity.
• demonstrate the role of digital technologies in pandemic management and response.
• summarize approaches for epidemic prevention and social public health.
• explain the contributions of drugs, vaccines, pharmaceutical companies and global activism in epidemic control.
• outline ethical issues surrounding access to treatment and vaccines during epidemics.
• demonstrate the impact of global funding on the control of epidemic threats.
• ?illustrate the contribution of scientific research to understanding epidemics, including emerging areas of research.

Skills

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• evaluate the impact of epidemics, as well as prevention and treatment policies in particular countries, regions and communities.
• elaborate the relations between the epidemics, gender relations, stigma and poverty.
• explain the role and impact of global, national and local responses to epidemics.
• critically analyze issues surrounding access to treatment such as the role of the pharmaceutical industry and of global activism.
• discuss the ethical issues surrounding vaccines and clinical drug trials in resource-limited communities.
• critically examine the role of digital technologies in the context of global epidemics.
• determine how the issues raised by epidemics, prevention and treatment may be relevant to your own research projects.

?

General competence

• You will gain an overview of the key issues surrounding the epidemics in relation to public health, global health and community-based prevention and treatment.
• You will be able to develop arguments and engage in discussion in both oral and written forms.
• Critical thinking will be encouraged through an understanding of the history and present of epidemics and responses to them.

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

• Students enrolled at the master programme in International Community Health (master),?Tverrfaglig helseforskning (master) and?Folkehelsevitenskap og epidemiologi (master) will get priority to the course, if they register in Studentweb before 10 January. The latest deadline to register and apply for the course in Studentweb is February 1.
• Students enrolled in other master¡¯s programmes at the UIO can, on application before 10 January via our?application form, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme. We prioritize students at other programmes at the Institute and Faculty. You will get an answer 20 January at the latest.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.

Overlapping courses

• 5 credits overlap with INTHE4109.

Teaching

Lectures, discussion and group-work.

80% attendance in the seminars/group work is required to be eligible to take the exam. Attendance will be registered.

Examination

Home exam.

80% attendance in the seminars/group work is required to be eligible to take the exam.

Examination and grading at The Faculty of Medicine.

Language of examination

The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.