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 2 - 2025
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.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from SUTE data
While usefulness of assessment feedback was assessed as high (87%) it was relatively lower than other feedback.
Review rubrics and marking guides to ensure evaluation feedback for "Useful Feedback" continues to improve. In addition to the current process where students are encouraged to contact the Lecturer for individual feedback, a separate online class session will give generic feedback, with the option to have breakout rooms for additional individual feedback.
Feedback from Unit coordinator reflection
Performance in Assessment 2 relating to critical review and referencing often did not meet the assessment criteria.
Build on the existing structured approach to the Briefing Report (Assessment 2), that scaffolds application of learning related to search strategies, critical review and referencing within classroom settings.
- 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
Communicable Disease Control and Health Protection Handbook
Edition: 4 (2019)
Authors: Jeremy Hawker, Norman Begg, Ralf Reintjes, Karl Ekdahl, Obaghe Edeghere, and Jim E. van Steenbergen
Wiley
Ebook only required. Ebook only required.
ISBN: 9781119328056
Ebook only required.
Ebook only required.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
g.a.vaughan@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction and Unit overview
- Teaching, learning and assessment structure
- Introduction of communicable diseases (CD) and concepts
- Classification 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
Principles of communicable diseases (CD) causation and transmission
- Transmission of communicable diseases
- Basic epidemiology of CDs
- Epidemiological triad/triangle
- Types of CDs part 1: food and water-borne, vector-borne, air-borne diseases
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
- Measures of frequency and spread
- Measures of mortality and morbidity
- Measures of association and risk
- Absolute risk and standardising data
- Who's our population? Data sovereignty and ethics in epidemiology
- 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
- General principles of responding to a CD outbreak
- Stages and steps in an outbreak investigation
- Communication and working with communities in an outbreak
- 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
Types of CDs part 2: Blood-borne diseases; sexually transmitted infections (STIs]
- Risk factors and manifestations
- Investigation
- Prevention and control strategies within a socio-ecological framework
- Applying principles of a communicable diseases outbreak investigation to these types of CDs
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
Applying your knowledge: Food-borne disease scenario Part A
- Recap Week 4 - Stages and steps in an outbreak investigation
- Apply your learning and knowledge of CDs to a food-borne disease outbreak
- Check in with your group for Assessment 1
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
Preventive and control principles and strategies 2: Vaccination and immunisation
- Vaccination and immunisation
- National immunisation program schedule
- Vaccine hesitancy
- Working with communities
Applying your knowledge: Food-borne disease scenario Part B
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.
Apply your learning and knowledge of CDs to a food-borne disease outbreak – Part B
[Work in your Assessment 1 groups]
Module/Topic
No lecture. Assessment 1 in class presentations
Chapter
See weekly Learning Activities and e-Reading list in Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 1 due
Assessment 1 Group Project Due: Week 8 Friday (12 Sept 2025) 4:00 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 - communicable diseases, 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
- Setting strategies and priorities
- Risk, prevention and management of communicable diseases in disasters
- Challenges in low and middle income countries
- Advocacy, health promotion
- 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
- 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.
Written Report: responding to an outbreak (Individual) Due: Week 12 Friday (10 Oct 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
This unit is offered at Melbourne, Sydney and for Distance students:
- Lecturer at Sydney campus and Distance: Dr Geraldine Vaughan (g.vaughan@cqu.edu.au) - Unit Coordinator
- Lecturer at Melbourne campus: Dr Sam Cassar (s.cassar@cqu.edu.au)
Any inquiry about this unit, kindly, refer to the Unit Coordinator
Holiday replacement classes: Students will be advised in class
1 Group Work
The group assessment task responds to a communicable disease outbreak or issue of concern (topic and group to be allocated by week 3), from a public health (not biomedical!) perspective. Each topic includes: background, the communicable disease (burden, transmission); location (geographical, demographic) community (who is the impacted population? – both directly and indirectly); and the role your group will play (usually an arm of a public health unit).
As well as the specific response you will outline in your Poster, each topic will raise particular issues that must be addressed in context with reference to the impacted population, community, health, government and other relevant stakeholders. Your group work output includes the 1) Academic Poster, 2) Background information (your research, including references) and a 3) Media release. You will also complete 4) an Individual Peer/Self review of your team work.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 8 Friday (12 Sept 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Week 10 Friday (26 Sept 2025)
The assessment criteria for this unit are in the form of a detailed marking rubric which is available from the Moodle site. Broadly, you will be assessed on:
- An evidence-informed academic poster presentation, and background information which follows academic conventions at a post-graduate level
- Your presentation, background information and media release will demonstrate cohesive team work, with a consistent voice and flow.
- A media release that follows protocol to make a powerful formal announcement about your outbreak/issue, with key points in the release answering "who, what, where, when, why".
- Evidence-based synthesis of disease response/control strategies, in the context of the focus population(s) and reference to your Unit content.
- Critical discussion of recommended actions to address the underlying public health issues within a socio-ecological model.
- An Individual Peer review/Reflection that gives honest, respectful and insight feedback on your experience working in a group, and lessons learnt.
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 your group assessment topic to develop a formal briefing report. You will imagine you are working as a public health advisor for your Department of Health, and your briefing report aims to help guide your chosen recipient (who may be eg a local Public Health Unit manager, state/federal Health Minister, Chief Executive of primary health service – you need to decide what is appropriate and address accordingly). It will outline strategies to address the communicable disease outbreak, with a focus on an at-risk population. Using the Briefing Report template, complete 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.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 12 Friday (10 Oct 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Assessments returned prior to certification of grades
The assessment criteria for this unit are in the form of a detailed marking rubric which is available from the Moodle site. Broadly, you will be assessed on:
- An evidence-informed Report that responds to the chosen communicable disease.
- Evidence-based synthesis of disease control strategies, in the context of the focus population, drawing from the work you have completed for Assessment 1, and pitched appropriately for your audience (eg Minister of Health)
- Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the communicable disease topic based on your work throughout this term, with reference to Outbreak Control strategies.
- Academic conventions at a post-graduate level are followed, with a consistent voice and flow, using the provided template and following instructions.
- Word count 1,500 words +/-10% (excluding References)
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?
