The course aims to:

• Offer learning opportunities for professionals working in disciplines related to disease outbreaks to develop skills and knowledge that are critical to working in the field of pandemics.
   
• Emphasise the value of interdisciplinary working, self-reflection, critical appraisal and synthesis for effective pandemic preparedness and response.

Objectives

By the end of the module, engaged participants will be able to:

• Explain the definitions of pandemics and critique their application in the 20th and 21st centuries.
• Identify context-specific drivers and mitigations for emerging infectious diseases and pandemics.
• Critically evaluate methods for emerging infectious disease surveillance, including detection.
• Assess and critique the application of learning from the emergence and spread of pandemics in the 20th and 21st centuries.
• Critically appraise and prioritise the pillars of pandemic preparedness and response at local, national and international levels.
• Develop a national pandemic response plan using an interdisciplinary approach.
• Apply skills of interdisciplinary working, critical thinking, and synthesis to topics relating to pandemic preparedness, response and research.

Teaching and assessments

This is a part-time short course which consists of 20 hours of learning each week. This includes 5 hours of directed learning and 15 hours of self-directed learning. Teaching and assessment methods have been selected for their appropriateness and include use of group discussion, problem-based exercises, presentations, debates in addition to critical appraisal and synthesis of literature. View sample timetable.

Teaching faculty and advisory committee

This course has been developed by:

• Professor John Edmunds (Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Dynamics).
• Professor Shelley Lees (Professor of Anthropology of Public Health, Department of Global Health and Development).
• Professor David Heymann (Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and International Health).
• Assistant Professor Daniela Manno (Assistant Professor of Clinical, Department of Clinical Research).