London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Two new free online courses from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Lancaster University examining different aspects of the Ebola virus outbreak and response have been launched by FutureLearn, the social learning provider of massive open online courses (MOOCs).

The courses, which run for two weeks starting in January 2015, are designed to educate the public, students and health professionals about the rapid spread of the virus throughout the West African countries hit by the current Ebola outbreak, as well as on its transmission and the response.

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's course, Ebola in Context: Understanding Transmission, Response and Control, is designed mainly for health professionals and students, while Lancaster University's course, "Ebola: Symptoms, History and Origins," is designed for the general public.

Professor Judith Glynn, lead educator on the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's course, said: "As well as structured sessions and contributions from leading experts across a range of disciplines, including those engaged in current research, the course will include first-hand accounts from health workers who are at the front line of the international emergency response in affected countries."

Dr Derek Gatherer, the lead educator on Lancaster University's course, said: "Ebola is a current and very emotive public health emergency, and one of the aims of our course is to demystify the disease for the general public and set out the facts. We also want to engage with and encourage new students who think that a career in biology or medicine might be for them."

FutureLearn's Head of Content, Nigel Smith, said: "Headlines around the world have charted the rise of Ebola, and efforts to contain the deadly virus have gained momentum. FutureLearn is proud to offer two new free, online courses to educate the public as well as healthcare professionals on the Ebola virus from two of our renowned partners. It demonstrates the ability of massive open online courses to meet the needs of two very different types of learners while responding to fast-moving current events."

Ebola in Context: Understanding Transmission, Response and Control will feature contributions from the co-discoverer of the Ebola virus and Director of the School, Professor Peter Piot, as well as from frontline responders on the ground in West Africa. It will examine the science behind the Ebola outbreak, to understand why it has occurred on this scale and how it can be controlled. Topics will include the principles of infectious disease transmission, the social context of the epidemic, treatment and control measures, and the challenges of implementation and innovation in an emergency.

Professor Glynn said: "Many colleagues from the School -- both staff and research students -- are now volunteering in Liberia and Sierra Leone with partners including Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières, and providing support, training and advice to the World Health Organization and other international agencies. We hope this course will be of interest to a broad audience, as well as workers in the field, and will also inspire people to learn more about infectious diseases, health systems and public health."

Course start date: 19 January 2015
Course length: 2 weeks
Anyone interested in the course can sign up now

About FutureLearn

FutureLearn is a social learning platform based in the UK and providing free, online courses from world-class universities. Our leading British and international university partners join three cultural organisations - the British Library, British Council and the British Museum - and the National Film and Television School, to offer quality, higher education courses to anyone with an internet connection anywhere in the world. FutureLearn is wholly owned by The Open University, which has over 40 years' experience in distance and online learning. For more information, visit www.futurelearn.com.