Global Disease Masterclass: Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, Intervention and Prevention from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

HIV

This week you will look at HIV, an infectious disease that emerged in the 1980s and has become one of the leading causes of death in many countries. You will first look at how HIV affects the immune system and causes AIDS and how it spreads from person to person. You will then review the state of the global epidemic and look at current trends in specific countries. There are many interventions that are available to help prevent transmission and to treat persons who are HIV-positive, and you will review the evidence for each. You will review and critique the strategy that has been developed to ‘end AIDS’ by UNAIDS, the UN agency tasked with leading the fight against AIDS.

Malaria

Malaria is one of the most high-profile infectious diseases and a major cause of death in young children in many parts of the world. You will first learn about the complicated way that malaria spreads from person to person via mosquitoes. This knowledge will help you to make sense of the relationship between climate and the global distribution of malaria, and you will explore this yourself using fine-scale geographic data. You will then look at the available interventions for combatting malaria and review and critique the WHO’s strategy for combating Malaria.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

An important theme in infectious disease research is that new outbreaks can occur. You will look at two diseases that have emerged (or re-emerged) recently – Ebola and Zika. For each in turn, you will learn about what the disease is, how it is spread and the story of the most recent outbreaks. You will also learn about the challenges of trying to understand the nature of an epidemic whilst is it starting to spread, and you will examine data from the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic yourself. Finally, you will review strategies have been developed for responding to outbreaks and look at some of the development that are underway that should improve our ability to respond in the future.

Tuberculosis

The infectious disease that probably causes the most death worldwide today than any other is Tuberculosis, an ancient diseases that is posing new challenges in high and low income settings. Study this week begins with a review of how TB spreads and causes diseases and a close look at spread of disease in several different global settings. The mainstay approach has been providing treatment and you will learn how this has been done and how new approaches and seeking to do more. Prevention of TB touches on many aspects of health care and development, as well as pharmaceuticals and vaccine development, and you will learn about all the current avenues of research and implementation. Finally, you will read and critique current international strategies for ending the TB epidemic.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Assumes background knowledge in the subject area and may be difficult for beginners

Provides a comprehensive overview of infectious diseases, including HIV, Malaria, Emerging Infectious Diseases (Ebola and Zika), and TB

Instructive for professionals working in public health, healthcare, and related fields

In-depth, with case studies and examples for practical understanding

Taught by experienced instructors in the field of infectious diseases

Reviews summary

Solid communicable disease overview

Learners say this well-received course on communicable diseases offers engaging assignments, substantial lectures, and a great faculty. Interactive maps and data sheets are particularly well-liked. However, some have noted that certain links are outdated or non-functional attachments, which can sometimes lead to difficult exams. Overall, students report that this overview of communicable diseases, like Ebola and Malaria, is very informative, engaging, and an overall positive learning experience.

The instructors are knowledgeable and supportive.

"Awesome course and great faculty ."

"Great teachers; ample and extensive material; loved the WHO interactive maps and data sheets."

The course is well-structured and the lectures are engaging.

"Very substantial lectures!"

"very informative and very helpful"

"Excellent course and very complete on the subjects of Ebola, ZIka, Malaria and TB."

"Great teachers; ample and extensive material; loved the WHO interactive maps and data sheets."

Links and data trackers in the course are outdated.

"a lot of the material is slightly outdated/ databases have changed, making the assignments hard to do"

"Great course! However, I must point out that some recommended documents and videos are no longer available"

"There was some great information in here but many of the links are outdated, which affect your ability to do well on the tests."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Global Disease Masterclass: Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, Intervention and Prevention with these activities:

Volunteer at a local health clinic

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Gain practical experience in infectious disease prevention and care.

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Identify a local health clinic that provides infectious disease services.
Contact the clinic and inquire about volunteer opportunities.
Complete the volunteer application and training.
Participate in volunteer activities, such as providing health education, assisting with patient care, or conducting research.

Complete interactive exercises

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Test your understanding of the epidemiology and transmission of infectious diseases.

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Identify the mode of transmission for each disease.
Calculate the disease incidence and prevalence.
Plot the geographic distribution of a disease.

Attend an infectious disease conference

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Engage with experts and learn about the latest advancements in infectious disease research and prevention.

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Identify an upcoming infectious disease conference.
Register for the conference.
Attend the conference sessions and workshops.
Network with other attendees.

Five other activities

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Research recent outbreaks

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Expand your knowledge of emerging infectious diseases and the challenges of outbreak response.

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Identify an emerging infectious disease outbreak.
Gather data on the outbreak, including its geographic origin, transmission mode, and case fatality rate.
Analyze the data to identify risk factors and trends.
Develop recommendations for outbreak prevention and control.

Create a database of infectious disease resources

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Compile a list of valuable resources for further learning and research on infectious diseases.

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Identify different types of infectious disease resources, such as articles, books, websites, and databases.
Search for and gather relevant resources.
Organize the resources into a database or other structured format.
Share the database with other students, researchers, and professionals.

Develop an educational campaign

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Apply your knowledge to create a public health campaign to raise awareness and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

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Identify the target audience for your campaign.
Develop a key message for your campaign.
Create a communication channel for your campaign.
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign.

Mentor younger students interested in infectious diseases

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Share your knowledge and skills with aspiring infectious disease professionals.

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Identify opportunities to mentor younger students, such as through university clubs, outreach programs, or online platforms.
Develop a mentoring plan that outlines your goals and expectations.
Meet with your mentees regularly to provide guidance, support, and encouragement.
Evaluate the progress of your mentees and make adjustments to your mentoring plan as needed.

Contribute to an open-source infectious disease project

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Gain hands-on experience and contribute to the global fight against infectious diseases.

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Identify an open-source infectious disease project that aligns with your interests and skills.
Contact the project maintainers to inquire about contribution opportunities.
Review the project documentation and codebase.
Make code contributions or other contributions to the project.

Career center

Learners who complete Global Disease Masterclass: Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, Intervention and Prevention will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Public Health Officer

Public Health Officers work to protect the public from health threats, including infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in public health, including the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

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Immunologist

Immunologists study the immune system, including how it protects the body from infection. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in immunology, including the role of the immune system in infectious diseases.

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Virologist

Virologists study viruses, including their structure, function, and evolution. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in virology, including the role of viruses in infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Virologist

Global Health Specialist

Global Health Specialists work to improve health outcomes in developing countries, including those related to infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in global health, including the prevention and control of infectious diseases in developing countries.

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Parasitologist

Parasitologists study parasites, including their structure, function, and evolution. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in parasitology, including the role of parasites in infectious diseases.

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Health Policy Analyst

Health Policy Analysts develop and analyze policies to improve health outcomes, including those related to infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in health policy, including the development and analysis of policies to prevent and control infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Health Policy Analyst

Infectious Disease Modeler

Infectious Disease Modelers use mathematical models to study the spread and control of infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in infectious disease modeling, including the development and use of models to prevent and control infectious diseases.

See salaries and explore the career path for Infectious Disease Modeler

Microbiologist

Microbiologists study microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, and protozoa. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the study of microorganisms, including their role in infectious diseases.

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Laboratory Technician

Laboratory Technicians perform tests and analyze samples to diagnose and monitor infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in laboratory techniques used in the diagnosis and monitoring of infectious diseases.

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Health Educator

Health Educators provide information and education to the public about health issues, including infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in health education, including the prevention and control of infectious diseases.

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Science Writer

Science Writers communicate scientific information to the public, including information about infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in science writing, including the communication of information about infectious diseases to the public.

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Pharmacist

Pharmacists dispense medications and provide information to patients about their medications, including those used to treat infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the use of medications to treat infectious diseases.

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Medical Doctor

Medical Doctors diagnose and treat diseases, including infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.

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Nurse

Nurses provide care to patients, including those with infectious diseases. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the care of patients with infectious diseases.

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Infectious Disease Epidemiologist

Infectious Disease Epidemiologists study the patterns, causes, and effects of infectious disease outbreaks. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in infectious disease epidemiology, intervention and prevention strategies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Infectious Disease Epidemiologist