Overview
Communicable diseases transmit from human to human or animal to human. They form a major component of the global burden of disease, thus presenting a significant public health challenge. Developments in health technologies, pharmaceuticals and other preventative approaches and treatments have decreased the impact of communicable diseases over the last century particularly. However, this is countered by an increasing risk of emerging and re-emerging communicable disease outbreaks across borders, in part due to the exponential increase in global travel and the expansion of the human-animal interface. This unit explores the knowledge, principles and skills required to address communicable diseases prevention and control. You will examine the epidemiology of communicable diseases and its relationship to prevention, management and control strategies from a public health perspective. Surveillance and other public health strategies on communicable diseases control are studied. Case studies are used to develop insights into public health responses to communicable diseases control, challenges and facilitators. The unit applies a critical lens to the essential role of cross-sectoral collaboration and partnerships in effective communicable disease strategies and policies.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Identify and explain the major types and modes of transmission of communicable diseases.
- Interpret and critique risk factors contributing to the burden of communicable diseases from a public health perspective, using a socio-ecological model to focus on at-risk populations.
- Explain and apply methods of measurement, monitoring and surveillance of communicable diseases and evaluate how they are used to safeguard public health.
- Critique public health strategies and programs used in the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Appreciate and critique the factors and contexts driving collaborative and coordinated approaches to communicable disease prevention and control.
N/A
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Group Work - 50% | |||||
| 2 - Report - 50% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | |||||
| 2 - Communication | |||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | |||||
| 4 - Research | |||||
| 5 - Self-management | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | |||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Word processing and Spreadsheet applications
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
ekramul.hoque@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction and Unit overview
- Welcome
- Teaching, learning and assessment structure
- Introduction of communicable diseases (CD) and concepts
- Historical perspectives of communicable diseases
- Communicable diseases within a socio-ecological framework
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Concept of disease, disease
transmission and classification of
communicable diseases (CD)
- Concept of disease and disease occurrence by pathogen types
- Classification of communicable diseases
- Modes and infection transmission cycles
- Natural history of disease propagation
- Role of epidemiological triad/triangle in causation and transmission of disease
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Epidemiology: Measuring the patterns of communicable diseases (CD)
- Principles and types of CD surveillance
- Significance of measurement in the epidemiology of CDs
- Define and distinguish commonly used measures of disease frequency (such as prevalence and incidence)
- Explain the relationships between risk and health outcomes, and understand the application of simple
measures of association and risk - Construct a contingency (2x2 table) and understand its application
- Define and distinguish other key epidemiological concepts and terms
- Reading and interpreting data: tables, visualisation
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Prevention and control principles and strategies 1
- Understand key principles of responding to a CD outbreak
- Know the stages and steps in an outbreak investigation
- Understand the key principles of communication in an outbreak
- Apply this knowledge to populations at risk
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
No classes
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Communicable disease transmission: air, food and water borne diseases
- Discuss transmission and occurrence of communicable diseases: focusing on airborne, foodborne and waterborne diseases
- Risk factors and manifestations of airborne, foodborne and waterborne diseases
- Investigation of airborne, foodborne and waterborne diseases
- Prevention and control strategies of airborne, foodborne and waterborne diseases within a socio-ecological framework
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Communicable disease transmission: blood borne and sexually transmitted diseases
- Discuss transmission and occurrence of communicable diseases: focusing on blood and sexually transmitted
diseases - Risk factors and manifestations of blood and sexually transmitted diseases
- Investigation of blood and sexually transmitted diseases
- Prevention and control strategies within a socio-ecological framework
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Communicable disease outbreak investigation
- What constitutes a communicable disease outbreak
- Managing a communicable disease outbreak – general principles
- Steps of a communicable diseases investigation
- Investigating a communicable disease outbreak
- Prevention and control methods
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Preventive and control principles and strategies 2
- Strategies and principles of prevention and control of CDs
- Focus on Vaccination and immunisation
- Vaccine hesitancy
- National immunisation program schedule
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Assessment 1 DUE this week Friday 11:59PM AEST
Assessment 1 Group Project Due: Week 8 Friday (10 Jan 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
One Health and communicable diseases – why it matters
- Key principles of One Health approach
- One Health and Planetary Health in the context of CD
- Challenges of CDs within One Health framework: climate change, antimicrobial resistance
- Advocacy; health promotion and equity: working with communities
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Policies and legislation relevant to communicable disease prevention and control
- Public health law, vaccination, quarantine & bioterrorism
- Pandemic and epidemic responses: strategies and infrastructure
- Australian Centre for Disease Control
- Emergency response plan for communicable disease incidents
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Communicable diseases in the context of emergencies and disasters, and equity issues
- Setting strategies and priorities
- Risk of communicable diseases (VDs) in disaster
- Challenges in low and middle income countries
- Preventing the spread of CDs in disaster
- CDs within an equity framework: case study comparison
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Module/Topic
Bringing it together: Communicable diseases within a healthy public policy context
- Communicable disease mapping
- Examples of healthy public policy in a CD context
- Significance of the Health in All Policies approach and SDGs in CD
- Unit review
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
In addition to online lectures and resources, tutorials provide the opportunity to complete individual and group activities; and build your skills and knowledge base related to Unit content.
Assessment 2 DUE this week Friday 11:59PM AEST
Written Report: responding to an outbreak (Individual) Due: Week 12 Friday (7 Feb 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
This unit is offered at Melbourne, Sydney and online:
- Lecturer at Melbourne and online: Dr Ekramul Hoque (ekramul.hoque@cqu.edu.au) - Unit Coordinator
- Lecturer at Sydney: Dr Tomas Megalaa (t.megalaa@cqu.edu.au)
Any inquiry about this unit, kindly, refer to the Unit Coordinator
Holiday replacement class
- Week-11 class on 27 January 2025 (Monday) is a public holiday
- This class will be replaced by a Zoom class on 29 January 2025 (Wednesday) at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Zoom link will be sent to students (both Melbourne and Sydney) closer to the week-11
1 Group Work
The group assessment task responds to a communicable disease outbreak (topic and focus group to be allocated by week 3), from a public health perspective.
It comprises an a) Media release and b) Presentation, outlining your strategies and priorities to address the outbreak for the chosen population. In addition to the group work assessment, an individual reflection and peer review marking process will be submitted.
Week 8 Friday (10 Jan 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
(AEST)
Week 10 Friday (24 Jan 2025)
- Media Release: follows newsworthy principles (15%)
- Presentation: provides a background to the communicable disease outbreak (10%)
- Presentation: reviews and analyses available evidence to support strategies and responses, incorporating data and figures (15%)
- Presentation: addresses considerations and collaborative strategies for different stakeholders including higher risk population/s (10%)
- Presentation: gives clear recommendations and conclusion (15%)
- Media Release and Presentation: both adhere to appropriate language and recommended structure (10%)
- Correct referencing (Harvard style) (10%)
- Individual Reflection: Insight and description of experience working in a group, and lessons learnt (10%)
- Peer review: (5%)
Further information regarding structure and assessment criteria is available in the 'Assessments' section in Moodle.
- Identify and explain the major types and modes of transmission of communicable diseases.
- Interpret and critique risk factors contributing to the burden of communicable diseases from a public health perspective, using a socio-ecological model to focus on at-risk populations.
- Explain and apply methods of measurement, monitoring and surveillance of communicable diseases and evaluate how they are used to safeguard public health.
- Critique public health strategies and programs used in the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Appreciate and critique the factors and contexts driving collaborative and coordinated approaches to communicable disease prevention and control.
2 Report
This individual assessment task builds on the topic selected in week 3 (and your group assessment) to develop a formal report that responds to an outbreak. You will imagine you are working as a public health advisor for your Department of Health, and write the report addressing the following:
- Brief background, including causality and burden from a public health perspective, with a focus on your chosen population to provide context.
- Describe key issues to consider, including resourcing, control measures, operational issues
- Identify key stakeholders across disciplines, community(ies), public and private sectors. Describe their roles in the outbreak response.
- Identify and describe potential challenges to controlling the outbreak
- Based on these findings, make recommendations to improve the response to the outbreak, including strategic, advocacy, operational, policy and (potentially) legislative implications.
Week 12 Friday (7 Feb 2025) 11:59 pm AEST
(AEST)
Exam Week Friday (14 Feb 2025)
- Provide an Executive Summary (15%)
- Provide background to the communicable diseases outbreak (15%)
- Review and analyse available evidence to support a policy initiative or change (25%)
- Address considerations and strategies for different stakeholders including higher risk population/s (10%)
- Present findings using the report template, incorporating data and figures, recommendations and conclusion (15%)
- Appropriate language and structure (10%)
- Correct referencing (10%)
Further information regarding structure and assessment criteria is available in the 'Assessments' section in Moodle.
- Interpret and critique risk factors contributing to the burden of communicable diseases from a public health perspective, using a socio-ecological model to focus on at-risk populations.
- Critique public health strategies and programs used in the prevention and control of communicable diseases.
- Appreciate and critique the factors and contexts driving collaborative and coordinated approaches to communicable disease prevention and control.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
