Global Health : A Course: Global Health : A Course David Matlack Joyce V. Cadwallader


Global Health: Global Health


Global Health Unit Comprised of Two Modules:: Global Health Unit Comprised of Two Modules: Public Health Emerging Diseases


Public Health Objectives:: Public Health Objectives: To begin to understand issues in global health and public health. To understand that these topics are an interaction of biology, geography, sociology, economics and politics. To learn to use tools – databases, spreadsheets and statistics - to investigate questions pertaining to global health.


Presentations of Country Information: Presentations of Country Information Students will present a powerpoint presentation on the country of their choice (with representative countries from all developed, developing and least developed). Information will be obtained from WHO, UN and other sources to begin to build databases on the health conditions in that country. Political structure, religious background, and other aspects which would affect health will be included in the presentations.


Kinds of Information To Be Collected for Database : Kinds of Information To Be Collected for Database Population, Births, Mortality, Infant Mortality Per capita health care expenditure Literacy, women’s literacy Life expectancy vs. DALY (disability adjusted life years) Incidences of 10 major diseases Incidences of 10 major communicable diseases To be discussed and decided by class


Develop Investigative Groups : Develop Investigative Groups Form groups of three students using compiled data and/or data from other sources. Generate a hypothesis and test the hypothesis using Excel to provide graphs of information or other data manipulations.


Emerging Diseases Unit Objectives: Emerging Diseases Unit Objectives To understand the biology of infectious disease. To understand principles of evolution as they relate to disease. To gain experience using epidemiologic models and bioinformatics. To gain experience in assessing primary scientific literature.


Case Study on Chikungunya Fever: Case Study on Chikungunya Fever Give case study February 1, 2006 Jennie explained to her parents after arriving home after a January term trip to Madagascar was an experience she would never forget. She was able to see eight species of lemurs on the island including the black and white ruffed lemur. The group she was with did behavioral observations on focal animals to try to understand these fascinating animals. On alternative days they catalogued the vegetation of the region surrounding the park. For a Biology major wanting to become a exotic animal veterinarian, it was just a fabulous experience.


Case Study : Case Study Continued in supplemental material.


After the diagnosis : After the diagnosis Ask students to use the SIR Esteem Module to generate a model of the outbreak of disease in Indian Ocean region in January-March, 2006. New documentation for SIR ESTEEM module will be generated removing parts of Microbes Counts module.


Evolution: Evolution Using Workbench, students will be asked to find sequences of the virus and form a phylogenetic tree. The evolution and future evolution of this virus will be discussed. (New mutants, resistance, etc).


Global Health Implications Panel : Global Health Implications Panel Students will brainstorm who they think are “interested” parties in decision making in control of this pathogen and its vectors. Students will choose one of the “interested” parties to role play in a panel discussion to be held at the UN about control of emerging disease.


Evaluation and Assessment : Evaluation and Assessment All of the interdisciplinary courses in the general studies of the college need to have a paper assigned. The topic is to be related to a controversial issue. (SMWC has a rubric for these papers.) Rubrics will have to be developed to evaluate the presentations that will be graded assignments.


Assessment: Assessment A survey will be developed to evaluate different class activities. Product evaluation.


References:: References: Charrel, Remi, et al, 2007, “Chikungunya Outbreaks – The Globalization of Vectorborne Diseases,” NEJM 356(8):769. http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030263 Anton Weisstein, New SIR Model, pre-release.


Acknowledgements : Acknowledgements Marion Fass Ethel Stanley and Margaret Waterman Tony Weisstein All the BioQUEST staff and fellow BioQUESTERs.