PUHE-507 : Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (Elective)

Large-scale disasters are increasing worldwide. Disasters are nearly always a public health issue and require public health preparedness and response. This course provides an introduction to different types of public health and environmental health disasters, their consequences, and public health agencies and practitioners' role in preparedness, response, and recovery. The course will employ an all- hazards, domestic perspective and explore different types of natural, biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear, and other human-caused disasters. Through course lectures and readings, case studies, discussion, and debate, students will learn and understand the foundational concepts of the public and environmental health community's role in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. Through incourse activities and assignments, students will learn to apply these concepts to real-world disasters and identify, evaluate and synthesize information related to public health disaster response. The course is designed to develop proficiency in analyzing and evaluating the public health response to disasters and identifying solutions and methods for improvement.