Epidemiology and Public HealthModule Details

Rationale

Epidemiology is the cornerstone of public health practice. It equips professionals with the tools to investigate disease outbreaks, identify risk factors, and evaluate the effectiveness of public health interventions. Understanding core epidemiological principles is essential for graduates to effectively analyse public health data, interpret research findings, and inform evidence-based decision-making.

This course aims to provide students with a solid foundation in epidemiology enabling them to identify the key concepts and methods used in epidemiological studies; differentiate between various categories of epidemiological studies (e.g., cohort, case-control, cross-sectional); apply basic epidemiological principles to real-world public health scenarios; and critically evaluate research findings and interpret epidemiological data.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students will be expected to:
(i)    Apply key epidemiologic concepts to analyse disease patterns in populations.
(ii)   Differentiate between various types of epidemiological studies (observational, experimental) and their appropriate use.
(iii)  Develop a basic framework for planning an epidemiological study, including identifying research questions and methods for data collection.
(iv)  Assess the core principles of public health and their role in disease prevention and control.