CPD

Pocket Book of Hospital Care For Maternal Emergencies – Including Major Trauma And Neonatal Resuscitation – £15

The purpose of adding our books to the website for download, is to make this life-saving, up-to-date information available to all who need it.

To download this book and make a donation, click here

Please consider donating to this project and support MCAI in providing valuable resources to frontline healthcare workers, enabling them to save the lives of pregnant women, babies and children.

The three books (was £70, now £60) included in the package are:

International Maternal & Child Health Care – A practical manual for hospitals worldwide

You can simply click on any title to download whole sections or sub sections as PDFs.

Pocket Book of Hospital Care For Maternal Emergencies Including Major Trauma and Neonatal Resuscitation

This pocket book is a 317 page summary of the emergency components of obstetrics and resuscitation of the newborn infant from our textbook ‘International Maternal & Childhealth Care – A practical manual for hospitals worldwide’. The reader is referred to the textbook when more details on the medical problem under consideration are required.

Pocket Book of Hospital Care For Neonates and Infants

Introducing our latest medical publication. This 277 page pocketbook is a summary of the emergency components of basic neonatal and older infants hospital care from our 900 page textbook ‘International Maternal & Childhealth Care. A practical manual for hospitals worldwide’.

Easily fitting in your pocket, this book is designed to be a first port of call, the reader is referred to the main textbook when more details on the medical problem under consideration are required.

The purpose of adding our books to the website for download, is to make this life-saving, up-to-date information available to all who need it.

To download these three books and make a donation, click here

Please consider donating to this project and support MCAI in providing valuable resources to frontline healthcare workers, enabling them to save the lives of pregnant women, babies and children.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals or anyone working in a health organisation; undergraduate students taking a healthcare or science-related degree; medical students and postgraduates wishing to complement their studies; and anyone else with a keen interest in the science behind Ebola.

This free online course looks at how Ebola, a disease that many people had never heard of until recently, has caused a humanitarian crisis and worldwide panic. It examines the science behind the outbreak, to understand why it has occurred on this scale and how it can be controlled.

The course is taught by experts from a wide range of disciplines from epidemiologists and clinicians to anthropologists and health systems researchers and with contributions from experts who have been directly involved in the Ebola outbreak at different stages and from different angles.

To find out more about this course, visit: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/freeonlinecourses

Participants of this free online course are introduced to the magnitude and causes of blindness at a global level, with an emphasis on low and middle income country settings. 

By the end of the course participants will be able to: examine the magnitude and causes of blindness and visual impairment globally and locally; relate to VISION 2020: The Right to Sight global initiative; evaluate the key disease control strategies to strengthen cataract and refractive error service provision and be able apply them in your local setting; understand and apply the essentials of the planning process for an effective eye care service; and apply the principles of monitoring and evaluation of a local programme.

This course is designed for eye health providers who lead or manage an eye unit or eye care team; those working in isolated and remote settings; charity organisations and philanthropists involved in supporting eye care service provision and ophthalmic residents and nurses in low- and middle-income health services.

To find out more about this course, visit: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/freeonlinecourses

At a time of global concern over emerging infectious and chronic diseases, it is important to remember that millions of women and children continue to die every year from conditions that are easily preventable and treatable.  This free online course presents the latest data, priorities and debates about the health of adolescents, mothers, newborns and children in an accessible way, so that everyone has the opportunity to engage with the issues. The course explores the lifecycle from birth to adulthood.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals or anyone working in a health organisation; undergraduate students taking a healthcare or science-related degree; medical students and postgraduates wishing to complement their studies; and anyone else with an interest in learning about the health of women, children and adolescents.

To find out more about this course, visit: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/freeonlinecourses

This free open-access educational resource is supported by the Department for International Development. This course has been designed to explore the complicated problem of undernutrition, highlight its multi-sectoral causes and identify potential programmatic solutions. Chronic undernutrition affects nearly 200 million children in low and middle income countries, with vitamin and mineral deficiencies affecting many more, and there is strong evidence that undernutrition is associated with up to 45% of all child deaths globally.  However, undernutrition is preventable. A set of direct nutrition-specific interventions has been defined that, if brought to scale, could save millions of lives and contribute to long-term health and development.

This course is designed for students and professionals with an interest in undernutrition. No nutritional qualification is required to undertake this course.

To find out more about this course, visit: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/freeonlinecourses

This free open-access educational resource was commissioned by Irish Aid. This course has been designed to explore the multi-sectoral links between agriculture, nutrition and health, highlight current evidence and identify potential programmatic solutions. Agriculture, a supplier of food and nutrients, a source of income, and an engine of growth, is linked to food security, nutrition security and health outcomes. Global food production has been successful in keeping pace with population growth, yet food insecurity and undernutrition remain widespread. At the other extreme, excess dietary consumption is leading to global epidemics of overweight, obesity and chronic disease resulting in rapidly rising burdens of disability and death affecting all world regions. The latest State of Food and Agriculture report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in 2013 suggests that agricultural and food systems must now play an increased role in promoting more nutritious and sustainable diets for populations all over the world.

The course has been written by a team of academics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Leverhulme Centre for Integrative Research in Agriculture and Health. The Institute of Development Studies also kindly contributed to the module.

To find out more about this course, visit: http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/freeonlinecourses

All of the modules that comprise our distance learning MSc programme can be studied on an individual basis or as themed groups. These are ideal for students who want to study flexibly but who do not have the time or funding available for a full MSc.

The modules and themed groups of modules enable participants to refresh their skills or develop new skills, and to keep in touch with the latest research and knowledge underlying efforts to improve public health worldwide. They are particularly suitable for professionals who wish to refresh or modernise their skills in key areas without taking a full postgraduate course.  These include those working in NGOs, government health departments, clinicians, researchers, scientists or other professionals who are exposed to some of the topics covered and wish to learn more.

Individual Modules: If you wish to take an individual module or modules, perhaps for professional updating or special interest, or you would like to  ‘sample’ the course, you may take modules as a short course student:

• Full list of individual modules available

Before applying to register for a formal award (i.e. Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or MSc), applicants who do not have the usual academic qualification1s may be required to take one individual module in order to qualify for consideration for entry.

Application, Admission and Further Information: Applications for the distance learning courses are processed by the University of London, International Programmes office. To apply online please visit the University of London relevant course webpage and click on the corresponding ‘Apply online’ tab (individual modules) situated in the top right-hand corner of the page:

• Clinical Trials
• Epidemiology
• Global Health Policy
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

 

Entry Requirements: Where previous experience or qualifications are required, they are listed on the webpage for each module and in the corresponding module specification. If you already have sufficient background qualifications or experience then you may be able to take some more specialist modules without the need to first complete core modules. Please check each module specification for details.

Students must meet the appropriate standard of English required to study this course.

Fees: The tuition fees for each module for 2016/17 are £1,200 (for 10 credit modules) and £1,800 (for 15 credit modules). Information about credits is given on the relevant webpage for that module.

Price for the academic year: EU students : 835€

Students from least developed countries (according to the list established by OCDE) : 835€

Others : 4175€

Course dates : full academic year (mid September to end of June). Registration for non-EU students from mid February to end of April; for EU students until October.

Location : Belgium, Brussels

The advanced master in public health methodology (MPHM) is an inter-university programme organised by:

• Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Ecole de santé Publique (coordinator)
• Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Faculté de santé Publique
• Université de Mons (UMons), Faculté Warocqué d’Economie et de Gestion & Faculté de médecine et pharmacie

 

Description: The objective of this Advanced Master in Public Health Methodology is to provide a large degree of autonomy in the use of public health methods. The programme is addressed to public health professionals, health managers, who work at different levels of the health system, with a view to providing them with a specific skills needed for health system management and development of analytical and specialised approaches to strengthen their action strategies (operational research, health planning, health services research, health strategies and management). The targeted skills aim at the achievement of an overall objective which is to: ‘ensure methodological approaches and public health decision-makings, consistent with the needs of people, communities and individuals’. This Advanced Master thus highlights the methodologies of analysis and investigation of major health issues in developing countries and in a global health approach. It also intends to give to the students a sufficient basis for a systemic understanding of health issues as well as contextual and environmental factors that determine the answers to them. By the variety of teaching methods and by the commitment of teachers and students, this Advanced Master will enable health professionals to specialise in the aspects of the fight against disease and for a better health (epidemiology and biostatistics), organization and policy, systems and health services management (health economics aspects, management, health planning and operational research) as well as the development of social approaches to health and transversal skills such as research methodology, scientific writing and capitalisation of public health actions.

Training content: This 60 ECTS programme, which covers different methodological aspects, is composed of a compulsory part (50 ECTS) and an optional part (30 ECTS are proposed and the student must choose at least 10 – with a maximum of 25).

The compulsory part of the programme counts for 50 ECTS:

• Biostatistics and epidemiology
• Qualitative methods and contextual factors in public health
• Health economics and quality management
• Planning and health system research and management
• Operational research and south lectures
• Master Thesis

 

The several optional teaching units are related to:

• Health information system, interview and questionnaire surveys
• Advanced methods in biostatistics and epidemiology
• The WHO strategy for incorporation of traditional medicine in healthcare
• Special research questions in public health
• Special research question in emergency situations
• Interdisciplinary seminars in translational medicine

 

Conditions of admission: This Advanced Master is open to a wide range of practitioners (public health executives, medical doctors, health economists, research workers in the biomedical sector, etc.).

This course is an Advanced Master degree which means a master subsequent to a previous master. Therefore the general admission requirement for the course is that the applicants must possess a diploma at least equivalent to a master degree (5 years of university education).

To be admitted, applicants must bear a 2nd cycle degree considered equivalent to 300 credits (minimum five years of study) by the Jury. If the degree represents only 240 credits (minimum four years of study), the candidate should have acquired 60 extra credits through other second cycle studies or through some form of specialisation, or must prove to have acquired the useful knowledge through personal or professional experience.

For further information: http://www.ulb.ac.be/facs/esp/specmethodo.html

Contact: Christelle Senterre (academic coordinator ULB)

School of public health ULB

Route de Lennik, 808 CP 598, Bruxelles

Tel: +32 2 555 40 52

Email: mphm.esp@ulb.ac.be

Price: R 456 (Inclusive of all vat and taxes where applicable)

Introduction: The National Department of Health is moving away from client initiated HIV testing towards trainer initiated counselling and testing (PICT). The E-learning course is intended to empower doctors to conduct testing in their consulting rooms and obtain immediate results that will enable optimal client and disease management.

Who should enrol? Medical doctors in private practice that are registered with the HPCSA.

Course design: This is an online course. Participants have three months to complete the assessment process from date of registration.

Course content: The following modules will be covered:

• Pre and Post Testing
• Rapid finger prick testing
• Legal and ethical issues

 

Accreditation: Accredited according to the HPCSA CPD Guidelines for Health Professionals -November 2006, for 5 CEUs.

Certification: Your CPD certificate will be generated to your online CPD Manager, upon completion.

To register, please go to www.mpconsulting.co.za and register your profile. Thereafter you may login and navigate to FPD School of Health Sciences and access the online events.

For more information, contact: Melany Mahoharum

Tel: 012 816 9000/ 9100, Fax: 086 558 5433

Email: melanym@foundation.co.za or nicolet@foundation.co.za

Address: P.O. Box 75324, Lynnwood Ridge, 0040

Price: R 456 (Inclusive of all VAT and taxes where applicable)

Introduction: Ranking 7th in reported TB cases, South Africa is among the 22 high-burden countries targeted as part of the World Health Organization’s Stop TB initiative. In 2002, 224,420 TB cases were reported. Of these, 182,583 were pulmonary TB cases, of which 98,800 cases were new infectious cases.The incidence rate in 2002 was 494 per 100,000 population. The increase in TB is closely related to the HIV epidemic; a recent study revealed that 58% of TB patients were co-infected with HIV.

Who should enrol? All healthcare practitioners.

Course design: This is an online course. Participants have 3 months to complete the assessment process from date of registration.

Course content: The following modules are covered:

• Transmission and pathogenesis.
• Epidemiology and control.
• The DOTS strategy and tuberculosis control.
• Diagnosis.
• Treatment.
• Tuberculosis and HIV.
• Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
• Tuberculosis in children.
• Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria.
• Infection control and prevention.

 

Assessment: Participants are assessed online through a multiple choice questionnaire.

Accreditation: Accredited according to the HPCSA CPD Guidelines for Health Professionals -November 2006, for three CEUs.

Certification: Your CPD certificate will be generated to your online CPD Manager, upon completion.

To register, please go to www.mpconsulting.co.za and register your profile. Thereafter you may login and navigate to FPD School of Health Sciences and access the online events.

For more information, contact: Melany Manoharum

Tel: 012 816 9000/ 9101, Fax: 086 558 5433

Email: melanym@foundation.co.za or nicolet@foundation.co.za

Address: P.O.Box 75324, Lynnwood Ridge, 0040

Price: R 456 (Inclusive of all vat and taxes where applicable)

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus is rapidly emerging as a major public health problem. Although it is a chronic debilitating disease, early detection and effective management can significantly improve quality of life. Some of the important contributors to the rising prevalence of the disease are for example the effects of urbanisation and the obesity epidemic. Public and professional awareness of the risk factors for and the symptoms of diabetes are an important step towards its prevention and control. The importance of this problem has been acknowledged by the Department of Health with the introduction of a national programme for control and management of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Healthcare professionals therefore need the skills to effectively manage the disease. The course will also create a further opportunity for healthcare professionals to differentiate their practice and to respond to a growing consumer demand.

Who should enrol? All healthcare practitioners.

Course design: This is an online course. Participants have three months to complete the assessment process from date of registration.

Course content: The following modules will be covered:

• Introduction
• Clinical features
• Treatment
• Optimal control
• Complications
• Special situations
• Diabetes and pregnancy
• Diabetes and hypertension
• Diabetes in children
• Diabetes and surgery

 

Accreditation: Accredited according to the HPCSA CPD Guidelines for Health Professionals – November 2006, for three CEUs.

Certification: Your CPD certificate will be generated to your online CPD Manager, upon completion.

To register, please go to www.mpconsulting.co.za and register your profile. Thereafter you may login and navigate to FPD School of Health Sciences and access the online events.

For more information, contact: Melany Mahoharum

Tel: 012 816 9000/ 9100, Fax: 086 558 5433

Email: melanym@foundation.co.za or nicolet@foundation.co.za

Address: P.O.Box 75324, Lynnwood Ridge, 0040

Price: UK/EU Students, Full Time: £6,085, Overseas Students, Full Time: £19,465

Course description: Students should obtain clinical competence in history taking/examination, diagnosis, investigation and formulation of management plan and therapeutics in common neurological areas/disorders; a working knowledge of the scientific basis of common neurological disorders/areas; awareness of major recent developments in research in these areas of clinical neuroscience; experience in preparing and writing a research dissertation.

The lecture course (September to March) currently includes the following topics:

• Genetics of CNS disorders
• Brain Metabolism
• Neurotransmitters & neurodegeneration
• Autoimmune Disease and Repair Mechanisms
• Peripheral Nerve and Muscle
• Neurotransmitters
• Epilepsy
• Nociception and Pain
• Motor Control
• Basal ganglia/movement disorders
• Hearing, balance, vision and eye-movements
• Stroke and head injury
• Cognition
• Dementia

 

Lectures are supported by case presentations, bedside teaching, and research training sessions; a series of seminars on clinical topics, and attendance at clinical activities on site (i.e. teaching rounds, clinical conferences, outpatient clinics). During the latter part of the course students undertake a research project (January/February onwards), as well as a specialist attachment in a clinical firm (April onwards).

Who should enrol? Medical qualifications (medical degree), at least two years postgraduate experience in clinical medicine, registration with the GMC (or equivalent national authority for overseas students), and at least six months previous clinical experience in Neurology.

Course content: The following modules will be covered:

• Diseases of the Nervous System: Epilepsy, Pain, Tumours & Infection (15 credits)
• Peripheral Nerve, Muscle and Special Senses (15 credits)
• Motor Systems & Disease (15 credits)
• Higher Functions of the Brain (15 credits)
• Practical Neurology (30 credits)
• Theoretical Neurology (30 credits)
• Research Project (60 credits)

 

Students will have to obtain 180 MLevel credits to be awarded the MSc degree.

For more information, visit the website.

Price: TBC

Course description: This programme will enable practising doctors, dieticians, pharmacists and health care workers to enhance their employment skills while affording considerable opportunities to its graduates for employment in health and medical services, and within the food and food-supplement industries.

The subject of nutritional medicine includes clinical nutrition but is wider in scope, covering all aspects of nutrition and health. No equivalent programme exists at present for those wishing to understand and apply the concepts of nutritional medicine.

You will gain knowledge of the tools necessary to investigate diseases of metabolism caused by nutritional imbalances. You will learn to take a critical and scholarly approach to theory, practice, literature and research findings within the subject, resulting in a greater understanding of the range and potential of nutritional management of disease.

The programme appeals to many groups including clinicians, other health care workers, pharmacists and those in the food and food-supplement industries.

The modular, part-time programme has been designed to be accessible to those in full-time employment, consisting of three-day taught periods at the University, preceded by preparatory study and followed by consolidation and assessment. Modules, which are independent and may be taken in any order, can also be taken as stand-alone short courses.

Who should enrol? Medical graduates or those with a good honours degree in appropriate science or health disciplines.

For more information, visit the website.

Price: TBC

Course description: The programme is designed to meet the needs of those working (or intending to work) in the specialty of pharmaceutical medicine, or those who require a professional qualification pertinent to pharmaceutical medicine. It is suitable for those practising within the pharmaceutical industry, the related fields of commerce, licensing authorities, or the public health service.

The programme is designed to:

• Enable students to secure further recognition as pharmaceutical medicine specialists
• Give a greater understanding of pharmaceutical medicine in the domain of health care
• Provide evidence of specialisation, which is increasingly required under EU legislation
• Demonstrate proficiency across the whole field of pharmaceutical medicine through a system of continuous assessment

The part-time and modular nature of the programme is well suited to busy people with additional work commitments, allowing a flexible rate of attendance (one to four modules per year). The MSc requires 180 credits, the Postgraduate Diploma requires 120 credits and the Postgraduate Certificate requires 60 credits.

Please note the Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate awards are named Clinical Research.

Who should enrol? Persons with a degree (medical or non-medical) or professional qualifications and/or practical experience (usually at least three years’ postgraduate work experience) sufficient to pursue the programme of study.

For more information, visit the website.

Dates: TBC

Course Number: P002932

Catalogue Category: Human Health

Delivery Mode: Contact, Contact, Web Based

Contact Days: 5

Brief Description: This online course is targeted at clinicians and other healthcare providers (especially from the public sector) who are routinely involved in the diagnosis, care and treatment of TB patients.

Learning Outcomes: Enhanced understanding of contemporary practice in the diagnosis, care and treatment of TB patients.

Course Content: The course will present and discuss the following:

• The epidemiological features associated with increased risk for TB and HIV.
• Explain the clinical manifestations of tuberculosis.
• Detail patient populations with special needs/ manifestations such as paediatrics or HIV co-infection available for diagnostics and their appropriate application.
• Recommended treatment regimens.
• Drug-resistant strains, treatment, care, pharmacokinetics and potential toxicities.
• National and provincial policies for TB/HIV diagnosis, treatment and care.
• Infection prevention and control policies and strategies.

Who Should Attend: This course is targeted at clinicians and other healthcare providers (primarily from the public sector) who are involved in the diagnosis, care and treatment of TB patients.

Entry Requirements: This online course is targeted at clinicians and other healthcare providers (especially from the public sector) who are routinely involved in the diagnosis, care and treatment of TB patients.

Email address: info@enterprises.up.ac.za
Telephone number: +27(0) 12 434 2500
Fax number: +27(0) 12 434 2505
Website: www.enterprises.up.ac.za

Dates: TBC

Course Number: P003159

Catalogue Category: Human Health
Delivery Mode: Web Based

Contact Days: 0

Brief Description: The road to success in any health professional career begins with a concrete understanding of medical terminology.
Medical terminology is a language that is used to accurately describe the human body and associated components, conditions, processes and procedures in a science-based manner. Decoding the medical term is an important process, anyone who works in healthcare setting can benefit from the ability to read and interpret medical terms used in reports and health records.

This online course will guide delegates to acquire knowledge of the basic features of modern medical terms with regard to their Greek and Latin derived structural units. The course will explain how these units combine to establish scientific interpreted meanings for medical terms and consequently provide the delegate a key to unlock the vast treasury of medical terms, their meanings and applications in a modern context.

Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the course, delegates will:

• Understand the basic principles of term usage when referring to concepts in the medical field;
• Obtain insight and knowledge of the Greek-and Latin derived basic structures of medical terms;
• Skilfully apply their acquired structural insight and knowledge when determining the meaning of any medical term they encounter.
  Other outcomes include:
• Appreciation for the language of medicine
• Curiosity about meanings of medical terms
• Less frantic, artificial memorisation
• Less dependent on medical dictionaries
• Appreciation for related vocabularies of protozoology, medical entomology, aspects of botany, pharmacy, biochemistry and endocrinology

Course Content: The following units are covered:

• Terminological background
• Term structures
• Recognising the main aspects of the meanings of medical terms
• Formulating/phrasing of meanings/definitions of medical terms
• How to apply your knowledge of term structures in determining a medical term’s meaning
• The importance of correct pronunciation of a medical term in determining it’s meaning
• Special suffix functions
• Compound word endings
• Unlocking the meanings of medical terms (comprehensive summary)
• Special applications of structural forms in medical terminology

The following aspects will be addressed:

• What a medical term (also subject terms in general) in essence is and why it is referred to as a “term”;
• How the structural parts of medical terms and their meanings function and combine to establish the unique meanings of medical terms as they function in a medical contexts;
• How the meanings of medical terms can be determined by means of analysis of the medical terms into their meaningful constituent parts;
• How to develop a sense of scientific meaning (definition) a medical term should be associated with when applied in a specific context;
• The influence of both written and spoken medical context on the meanings and applications medical terms;

Workload: Delegates are expected to spend two to four hours per week online.
Each topic will take three to four hours to complete.

Who Should Attend: Any person interested in or in any way professionally or academically involved in activities where medical terms and their meanings need to be interpreted to clarify medical concepts. Persons involved in:

• Medical training of any kind and/or a profession such as nursing, paramedic, pharmaceutical or veterinary services
• Medical funds, medical insurance, medical accounting, medical related legal services including claims related to the Road Accident Fund as well as personal injuries as dealt with by labour unions/federations;
• Medical related marketing services; and all medical related responsibilities including the above mentioned where the international ICD 10 Code is applicable.

Email address: info@enterprises.up.ac.za
Telephone number: +27(0) 12 434 2500
Fax number: +27(0) 12 434 2505
Website: www.enterprises.up.ac.za

Peoples-uni Open Online Courses are short, available free for all, and usually contain 5 topics. You can earn a certificate of completion, but there is no accreditation for these courses. Each one would take around 5 hours to explore and contains links to relevant resources on the web. These courses are continually under review and new courses regularly added.

Courses are based on the concept of open education resources (OER), freely available on the Internet. Peoples-uni develops a standardised educational context around these open resources This educational context involves:

• Defined competences (learning outcomes): we have identified competences that are relevant to Public Health practice in low- to middle-income country settings (competeces are skills plus knowledge)
• Resources: we have provided links to the online resources which help to provide the relevant skills and knowledge relevant to each of the defined competences
• Discussion forums: a very important part of the course, facilitated by expert tutors, allowing in-depth amplification of the resources, the ability to share experiences and understanding between students, and to gain experience in quoting evidence
• Tutors: volunteer tutors from a number of countries help with the interpretation of the resources as facilitators of online discussions and markers of assignments
• Assessment is made by the submission of assignments designed to see if the competences have been achieved. Based on successful completion of the assignments, the Peoples-uni will offer a Certificate, Diploma or Masters of Public Health
• Adoption of the Web 2.0 philosophy: people are talking about Web 2.0 – for us this means collaborative participation among teachers and students to make sure that the education is relevant and of high quality. We aim to revise all the time with input from all those involved

Course modules are in two groups – the ‘Foundation Sciences of Public Health’ and ‘Public Health problems’. You should take some modules from each group to build to a Certificate, or Diploma, or Master of Public Health. For the Diploma/MPH programme, you are required to take Biostatistics and Introduction to Epidemiology from the ‘Foundation sciences’ group of modules. Adding a Dissertation will take you to the Masters degree (MPH).

You can take one or a maximum of two modules per semester, or up to four in a year. If you are enrolling in two modules in a semester, please ensure that you have the time to participate actively in both modules as they run at the same time and involve a heavy workload.

Each of the units (modules) in this programme are divided into five topics, each with a set of resources (as online links in a resource list with descriptive metadata, as well as in pdf format in zip files), a discussion forum for the exchange of ideas and the exploration of concepts between students and the tutor who acts as online facilitator. Short quiz questions are also included. Summative assessments comprise essay questions equivalent to 3500 words including critical analysis

Foundation Sciences of Public Health group

Biostatistics [PUBIOS] 15 credits
This unit aims to provide information to enable students to understand the statistical content of relevant literature, and to have the knowledge to interpret statistical analysis.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Descriptive Statistics;
• Starting to examine data;
• Comparing data
• Exploring data;
• More data comparisons;

Evidence Based Practice [PUEBP] 15 credits
Evidence based practice is cited as the basis of all our public health and healthcare decisions, but what does that mean in practice? The unit is designed to explore how to identify which evidence to use, by asking the correct question, searching the literature, performing a critical appraisal of evidence and applying it the students’ own practice.

The unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Asking the question;
• Accessing the evidence;
• Appraising the evidence;
• Applying the evidence;
• Assessing and evaluating – how can evidence be used in your practice.

Evaluation of Interventions [PUEVAL] 15 credits
The focus of the unit will be on the theory and methods required for the evaluation of a range of policy and programmatic interventions, all of which have the ambition of improving health outcomes.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Introduction to Evaluation;
• Programme theory and theory of change;
• Introduction to Evaluation design;
• Measurement, Sampling, Data Collection and Analysis;
• Alternative evaluation approaches.

Health Economics [PUEHECO] 15 credits
This unit provides an introduction to health economics for those who want to understand the important contribution that economics can play in the health of populations. The unit includes health and socio-economic development, health care financing, economic evaluation in health care systems, and priority setting in health.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• An introduction to health economics;
• Health care Financing;
• Health and Socio-Economic Development;
• Introduction to Economic Evaluation;
• Health system efficiency and national health priorities.

Health Promotion [PUHPROM] 15 credits
The unit focuses on identifying the key concepts and theories underlying the practice of Health Promotion, its relevance to the social determinants of health, and the implementation process of promoting health, and ends by identifying ways to implement a Health Promotion plan in their own setting.

The unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Introduction to the basic concepts of Health Promotion;
• Values, principles and determinants of health;
• Theories and strategies of Health Promotion;
• Health Promotion in practice: planning and implementation;
• Design your own Health Promotion project.

Inequalities & the Social Determinants of Health [PUISDH] 15 credits
The implementation of the recommendations to reduce health inequalities requires key stakeholders to become aware and knowledgeable about the issues in relation to global / regional health inequities and social determinants of health. This unit includes an understanding of the social determinants of health, how to measure inequity, and apply and plan interventions, in the context of the international efforts, to reduce inequity.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Global and national action on Social Determinants;
• Introduction and basic concepts of health inequities and social determinants of health;
• Methods of measuring Health inequalities;
• Health outcomes and inequities using a social determinants approach ;
• Planning an intervention to reduce health inequalities.

Introduction to Epidemiology [PUEPI] 15 credits
This unit is designed to provide an introduction to the concepts underlying epidemiology and the main methods employed by the discipline. On completing the module students should have a good grasp of why epidemiology underpins much of the effort of those whose work involves promoting population health and providing health services. Students should also learn to approach published material based on epidemiological methods in a more critical and informed manner.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Measuring health and disease;
• Measurement error;
• Cross sectional and prevalence studies;
• Studying disease incidence and causation;
• Evaluation using randomised controlled trials.

Public Health Concepts for Policy Makers [PUPHC] 15 credits
This unit is designed to provide an introduction to aspects of Public Health that are important for making policy which impacts on the health of populations. It includes an understanding of what is Public Health and the determinants of health, how to assess the health of the public, methods of intervention, how to use evidence in Public Health policy-making and evaluate the implementation of health policy with a Public Health perspective.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• What is Public health and the Determinants of health;
• Public Health policy-making and use of evidence
• Methods of Intervention;
• Assessment of Public Health;
• Evaluating the implementation of health policy with a Public Health perspective

Public Health Ethics [PUPHETH] 15 credits (Currently not offered)
This unit is designed to provide an introduction to ethical concepts as they relate to Public Health in comparison with individual healthcare. On completing the unit students should have a good grasp of ethical principles and their application to the practice of Public Health.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Introduction to Ethical Concepts;
• Differentiating Public Health Ethics from Medical Ethics;
• Values and Beliefs and Code of Ethics;
• Research Ethics;
• Ethical Public Health Interventions.

Public Health Problems group

Communicable Disease [transmission, surveillance and control] [PUCOMDIS] 15 credits
Communicable diseases result from spread of a causative organism from people to people or from animals to people. They produce a major burden of illness globally, but particularly in low-income settings. There are also a number of real or potential emerging communicable diseases, as evidenced by the emergence of swine flu, and an understanding of the causes, transmission and methods of prevention and control of communicable diseases is major global Public Health priority.

Hence this unit, which covers the Public Health aspects of communicable diseases including transmission and surveillance of diseases of public health importance, the application and design of control programmes, the epidemiology of common communicable diseases, immunisation, and how to respond to an outbreak.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Key concepts of communicable disease ;
• Surveillance of disease of public health importance
• Immunisation;
• Responding to a communicable disease outbreak. ;
• Application and design of control programmes for communicable diseases

Disaster Management & Emergency Planning [PUDMEP] 15 credits
All communities are vulnerable to disaster and following the event would endeavour to limit the damage from it. Assessing and reducing the risks before a disaster occurs is as important as responding to it and dealing with the consequences; both need to be professional to be effective. This unit comprises 5 Topics which cover:

• Disaster Planning – Assessing Hazards ;
• Emergency Planning and Preparation ;
• Responding to a disaster: Emergency Needs Assessment;
• Monitoring and assessing the impact of the disaster response;
• Response and recovery

Global Mental Health [PUGLOMH] 15 credits

Mental health issues universally concentrate amongst the poor and disadvantaged, as well as a strong gender bias towards women. There is much more that needs to be done to improve the lives and outcomes of those people who develop mental illness. The module aims to help you understand some of the risk factors, and size of the burden of mental illness and think about policies and interventions that can help tackle this neglected public health issue. By the end students will be armed to appraise the evidence base required to plan interventions to reduce the impact of mental illness.

This unit comprises five topics which cover:

• Introduction to global mental health ;
• Health promotion and epidemiology;
• Suicide – epidemiology and prevention;
• Evidence based interventions
• Planning and implementing mental  health interventions

HIV/AIDS [PUHIVAIDS] 15 credits
This unit is designed to provide an introduction to some of the Public Health aspects of HIV/AIDS and its impact on populations. Topics include the epidemiology of transmission, the size of the problem and how to measure it, the impact of health service functions and organisation on finding solutions, how to identify evidence-based solutions, and how to implement interventions.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Epidemiology of HIV;
• Size of the problem;
• HIV and the Pharmaceutical Industry;
• HIV, policy and politics;
• HIV, interventions, and other diseases.

Maternal Mortality [PUMM] 15 credits
Maternal morbidity and mortality remain major problems in many parts of the world – one of the most important threats to Public Health. The purpose of the unit is to provide the people who may be able to help tackle the problem with the knowledge and skills to do so. The unit focuses on identifying the size of the problem, the causes, and the evidence base behind interventions to improve the situation, and ends by identifying ways to implement evidence based solutions in your own setting.

The unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Introduction to maternal health;
• Epidemiology and causation;
• Health Service Systems;
• Evidence-based Solutions;
• Implementing an Intervention.

Non-Communicable Disease – CVD & Diabetes [PUNCD] 15 credits
Despite a focus on the control of communicable diseases in developing countries in the past, it is now apparent that non-communicable diseases have crept up on these populations and create a major threat. The unit aims to help practitioners understand the size of this threat and its causes, and to develop policies to reduce the growing burden on developing country populations. We cannot cover all non-communicable diseases in this unit, and have chosen to focus on CVD and Diabetes. Learning from this unit will help students appreciate the evidence base required to plan interventions to reduce the threat from these conditions.

This unit comprises:

• Size of the problem (burden of illness, macroeconomics);
• Causes (risk factors, including individual, population and socio-cultural determinants);
• Appraising the evidence that underpins international interventions and prevention programmes;
• How can we make health policies to reduce the burden of NCD;
• Implementing prevention programmes

Patient Safety [PSAF] 15 credits (Currently not offered)
This unit aims to help build capacity to understand and prevent threats to patient safety globally. It includes an understanding of the main threats to patient safety, and how to use an evidence based approach to the investigation and reduction of these threats.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• The concept and context of patient safety;
• Human and systems factors as a threat to patient safety;
• Investigating patient safety incidents;
• Reducing threats to patient safety by clinical risk management and good communication;
• Improving patient safety in the local setting.

Preventing Child Mortality [PUPCM] 15 credits
This unit focuses on understanding the burden of childhood disease that results in morbidity and mortality in this vulnerable population. Children are an invaluable population resource and childhood mortality has great importance in terms of a nation’s development, prosperity and well-being. This unit has a multi-disciplinary focus that will help students appreciate this complex concept.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Size of the problem;
• Causes;
• Health Services;
• Evidence-based Solutions;
• Implementing an Intervention.

Public Health Nutrition [PUPHNUT] 15 credits 

This unit aims to provide information to enable students to understand key nutrition issues and then integrate this knowledge into devising evidence-based nutrition interventions and evidence-based policies that meet the health and nutrition needs of vulnerable communities in developing country settings.

This unit comprises five topics, which cover:

• Fundamentals of nutrition, Public Health nutrition and assessment of nutritional status;
• Issues in nutrition of importance to Public Health;
• Food supply, policy and security;
• Strategies for nutritional interventions: the evidence base;
• Interventions – how to develop and evaluate your own intervention.

Requirement for Masters

Dissertation [Diss] 60 credits
This unit aims to enable students to synthesise the previous parts of their learning experience, and to produce two reports that reflect on their experience in the course as well as utilising skills and knowledge to develop, critically assess and evaluate a potential solution to a locally relevant Public Health problem.

Each student will be assigned a dissertation tutor, and will be enrolled in a facilitated discussion forum with other students enrolled in the dissertation. Each student will be expected to present interim results of each report to the group, and to contribute to the discussions about the presentations of others.

For more information on these courses, including, accessing the courses, course fees and payment options, please visit http://www.peoples-uni.org/content/unit-module-descriptions-and-codes

The African Cancer Institute at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa, invites you to apply for the above postgraduate degree for 2018

The African Cancer Institute (ACI) is the coordinating and directive institution for research and training in the field of cancer at Stellenbosch University and is dedicated to improving prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and management of cancer in Africa. The SAQA accredited Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Cancer Science offers postgraduate training to all cadres of health personnel including those with a basic science background in South Africa and from other African Countries who wish to broaden their understanding into the complexities around cancer and pursue cancer of cancer-related research.

The programme intends to deliver theoretical and practical insights needed to mould a skills set designed to advance current knowledge and address the increasing burden of cancer. Postgraduate students from Africa are encouraged to register for the degree and undertake the research component of this programme in their home country, making the research relevant to one’s own environment.

The minimum time for completion of the degree is 18 months. Please note that this is a FULL-TIME programme, whereby students are required to attend classes on campus for the first year.