This unit looks at substance use and misuse in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) communities: its cultural and historical background, the scientific basis of addiction, its causes and how common it is (epidemiology). Students will consider the harms of of alcohol use: to body, mind, family and community. They will examine and critically consider approaches to prevent substance misuse and also early intervention and harm reduction measures. Both the clinical and public health settings will be examined. In this block we will provide examples focusing on non-dependent alcohol use. Case-based learning will draw on students' professional experience in the drug and alcohol field. In addition, students will be expected to draw on their cultural knowledge to develop their drug and alcohol client assessment and responses to substance misuse. Students will analyse their community setting and explore the role of the Indigenous drug and alcohol professional in providing drug and alcohol prevention, brief intervention and harm reduction to individuals and communities.

This unit builds skills in clinical work and understanding of the science which explains addiction. Also, the block further develops understanding of community measures to address alcohol misuse and builds academic skills. Students will study alcohol dependence ('alcoholism') and withdrawal, including tools to assess and help clients. The cultural and geographical context of assessment and treatment is considered. The unit aims to improve students' skills in preventing relapse, including counseling, referral to appropriate services and understanding the role of medicines. Mental health problems linked to alcohol misuse will be examined. Students will develop their skills in writing a case management plan. After the block students will organise a half-day clinical placement in an alcohol treatment service.

This unit looks at how common cannabis, tobacco and related harms are in Indigenous Australian communities, as well as their impact and the science behind each of these substances (pharmacology). The link between cannabis use and depression and other mental health diosrderswill be explored. The nature and treatment of depression is examined, particularly in individuals who use cannabis. At the public health level, this unit focuses on tobacco and drug policy and how it influences programs at the local level and impacts on health of Indigenous Australians. Students will look at strategies to reduce smoking and cannabis related harm in individuals and communities. The health professional's role in influencing policy and programs in culturally secure ways will be explored.

This unit develops students' skills in assessment and management of clients with opioid dependence (e.g. dependence on heroin or strong painkillers). The role of opioid maintenance medicines such as methadone and buprenorphine will be examined. The unit also examines the impact of injecting drug use on health. Approaches to prevention and management of blood borne virus infections and other harm reduction initiatives are considered. In addition, ways of advocating for change in the community and influencing policy are will be discussed. Clinical assessment and management skills will be further developed. Communication skills in the health setting will be developed. After the block students will organise a half-day clinical placement in a drug and alcohol service.

This unit focuses on amphetamine-type stimulant drugs, such as 'ice'. It covers the science behind how stimulants work (pharmacology and neurobiology) and the effects and harms of stimulant and polydrug use. Topics include the needs of clients, and complications such as HIV, as well as treatment approaches. The scientific understanding of psychosis and the use of antipsychotic medicines are considered. The unit develops students' skills to design a program evaluation including describing the program rationale, goals, communication with key stakeholders, collecting and analysing data and giving the results back to the community.

In this unit students will consider substance use across the lifespan from during pregnancy (fetal development), through childhood and onto adulthood. It explores factors that can lead to cycles of alcohol, tobacco and other drug problems across generations and how to break these cycles. Use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in pregnancy and ways to prevent fetal harm will be examined. Clinical skills will focus on how to prevent, assess and manage benzodiazepine (e.g. Valium or Serepax) dependence and solvent misuse. Professional writing and speaking skills will be further refined.

Medicines save lives but they can be costly and can have serious adverse effects. Value-laden decisions are continuously being made at individual, institutional, national and international levels regarding the medicines we need, want and can afford. In this unit of study, we will explore and critique global and national policies and processes related to medicines, examining how research and development agendas are set; how medicines are assessed and evaluated; and how new technologies are translated into practice. We will also explore broader trends such as globalisation, commercialisation and changing consumer expectations. By the end of the course, students will understand the forces shaping the development, regulation, funding and uptake of medicines both nationally and internationally, and the political, ethical, legal and economic issues that are at stake. This course is designed to appeal to a wide range of students from ethics, law, public health, health care, policy, communications, economics, business, politics, administration, and biomedical science. Students will be encouraged to focus on issues of most relevance to their own area of study or work.

This unit aims to develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy. It gives an overview of the political choices and frameworks - national and global - that shape policymaking.
Learning objectives: By the end of this unit students will be able to: (i) Define the boundaries and key features of health policy; (ii) Understand the basic history and features of the Australian health system; (iii) Identify policy instruments and how they function; (iv) Understand the main frameworks used for analysing policy; (v) Understand the factors influencing how policy issues are prioritized in health; (vi) Demonstrate the capacity to apply these understandings in particular settings through case studies.
Content: This unit explores the main structures and institutions that make health policy. The unit examines debates over policy frameworks, and the evidence and advocacy in setting priorities. Conflicts over health policy will be placed in broader contexts - comparing different health systems and assessing global influences. Case studies will be used to examine the relationships between policy and practice.

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics, political economy and finance to examine the workings of health systems in Australia and comparable countries. Topics covered include the debates over the public-private mix and governance and accountability - who makes decisions about funding priorities? To whom should decision makers be held accountable and for what aspects of their work? How does health finance shape broader policy reform?
Learning outcomes: By the end of this unit students will be able to: (i) apply basic concepts and methodologies of health economics and political economy in policy analysis; (ii) understand the role of economic analysis in evaluating health policy change; (iii) understand the main models and debates regarding health system funding and the implications for equity, delivery and governance of health services; (iv) apply this knowledge to current Australian and global health systems and debates over reform; (v) be familiar with theoretical frameworks underlying health economics and current debates over health finance.

This unit aims to develop skills for undertaking policy research and analysis. The unit takes a multidisciplinary approach to familiarise students with fundamental frameworks and methodologies that can be applied to analyse policy from public health, social and political sciences, public policy and history.
Learning outcomes. By the end of the unit students will be able to: (i) Apply a critical analysis to questions of policy success or failure; (ii) Understand and explain the different methodological approaches that can be applied in policy research; (iii) Identify appropriate research methodologies, data collection methods and analysis for specific policy research questions; (iv) Design a health policy research project.

This unit aims to present an overview and critique of mental disorders in an international context. It covers broad issues related to the classification of disorders, their prevalence and population burden and their determinants. While the focus of the module is on international epidemiology, the course also aims to promote understanding of the economic and humanitarian implications of the burden of mental and substance use disorders for prevention, treatment and health policy. The unit will cover what a mental disorder is, how frequent and how disabling mental disorders are and what the major correlates and determinants of mental disorders are,with a focus on health policy.

This unit provides students with core skills in epidemiology, particularly the ability to critically appraise public health and clinical epidemiological research literature. This unit covers: study types; measures of frequency and association; measurement bias; confounding/effect modification; randomized trials; systematic reviews; screening and test evaluation; infectious disease outbreaks; measuring public health impact and use and interpretation of population health data. It is expected that students spend an additional 2-3 hours at least each week preparing for their tutorials.

This unit aims to provide students with an introduction to statistical concepts, their use and relevance in public health. This unit covers descriptive analyses to summarise and display data; concepts underlying statistical inference; basic statistical methods for the analysis of continuous and binary data; and statistical aspects of study design. Specific topics include: sampling; probability distributions; sampling distribution of the mean; confidence interval and significance tests for one-sample, two paired samples and two independent samples for continuous data and also binary data; correlation and simple linear regression; distribution-free methods for two paired samples, two independent samples and correlation; power and sample size estimation for simple studies; statistical aspects of study design and analysis. Students will be required to perform analyses using a calculator and will also be required to conduct analyses using statistical software (SPSS). It is expected that students spend an additional 2 hours per week preparing for their tutorials. Computing tasks are self-directed.

This unit focuses on mass-reach public health campaigns used to promote health and prevent disease. Building on introductory Masters of Public Health units of study in health promotion/disease prevention [or equivalent], this unit describes the rationale for mass-media led campaigns, social marketing interventions, and how they fit into a comprehensive approach to population health promotion and chronic disease prevention. The major themes covered are the principles of mass-reach communications in public health; designing campaigns [formative evaluation]; developing public health campaigns as part of comprehensive health promotion; understanding the messages, branding and marketing of campaigns; process and impact evaluation of campaigns; the differences between campaigns and social marketing initiatives; and the role of ancillary and supportive health promotion strategies, including media placement and advocacy. In addition, the role of, and evaluating social media campaigns will be included. The unit will equip students with skills to plan, design, implement and evaluate public health campaigns.

This core unit of study introduces students to evidence-based health promotion as a fundamental approach to preventing disease and reducing health inequalities in populations. The unit is divided into three modules: (i) building blocks of disease prevention and health promotion, (ii) using evidence and evaluating disease prevention and health promotion programs, and (iii) using research to inform policy and practice. This unit will give students an understanding of disease prevention and health promotion and their relationship to public health, introduce design, implementation, and evaluation of disease prevention and health promotion interventions, and develop and refine students' research, critical appraisal, and communication skills. The role of translation of research into policy and practice to enhance public health impact will also be explored. The unit will also illustrate how the principles of prevention and health promotion are applied in Aboriginal settings.

This unit is intended for students nearing the end of their MPH. The Special Project is a self-directed unit focussed on a specific MPH-related topic of interest to the student. The project is supervised by an academic within the School. An external person can act as the main supervisor but a School academic would also be required. This project may be developed by the student or the student could develop a project in consultation with an intended supervisor. The student needs to meet with the supervisor during the semester. Preferably this would be at least three times but the frequency will depend on the project and the preference of the supervisor. The project is meant to be self-directed so there is not an expectation that the supervisor would have close involvement, although they can if they want to. Students should contact an academic staff member associated with the area of their project and negotiate the details of the project design and the method and frequency of contact with the supervisor during the project. The student would be expected to undertake approximately 80 to 100 hours of work for this unit. The format of the final report or other output can be whatever is appropriate, as agreed with the supervisor(s). The report is due no later than the Monday of Week 13, or a later date as agreed with the supervisor(s) and the unit coordinator.

This unit is intended for students nearing the end of their MPH. The Special Project is a self-directed unit focussed on a specific MPH-related topic of interest to the student. The project is supervised by an academic within the School. An external person can act as the main supervisor but a School academic would also be required. This project may be developed by the student or the student could develop a project in consultation with an intended supervisor. The student needs to meet with the supervisor during the semester. Preferably this would be at least three times but the frequency will depend on the project and the preference of the supervisor. The project is meant to be self-directed so there is not an expectation that the supervisor would have close involvement, although they can if they want to. Students should contact an academic staff member associated with the area of their project and negotiate the details of the project design and the method and frequency of contact with the supervisor during the project. The student would be expected to undertake approximately 50 to 50 hours of work for this unit. The format of the final report or other output can be whatever is appropriate, as agreed with the supervisor(s). The report is due no later than the Monday of Week 13, or a later date as agreed with the supervisor(s) and the unit coordinator.

This unit aims to assist students in developing an evidence-based understanding of the epidemiology of alcohol and drug use and its impact on health, and the effectiveness of methods for prevention and management of related problems. This fuller drug and alcohol elective covers all the content of PUBH5115 and goes on to assist the student to develop more advanced skills in research and in management of clinical services in relation to alcohol and drug use disorders, and to examine the needs of special populations.

This unit aims to assist students in developing an evidence-based understanding of the epidemiology of alcohol and drug use and its impact on health, and the effectiveness of methods for the prevention and management of related problems.

Health promotion in urban, regional and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities requires working collaboratively with each community to develop human capital and capabilities within a paradigm of hope and respect for alternate worldviews. In this unit, you will acquire an understanding of health promotion in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contexts, and examine the distal, medial and proximal determinants of health and subsequent risk factors that have resulted in high rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander morbidity and mortality. You will learn how to ethically engage and work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and invest in relationships that enable genuine partnerships to develop. You will also identify and challenge neo-colonial policies and practices, and learn how to navigate around other barriers that hinder Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination. And you may end up questioning some of your own assumptions and behaviours as part of this process.
Later in the unit you will choose and explore a particular community and health issue, then work with an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health promotion professional and/or leader from that community to apply your skills and understanding in a compulsory workshop. The outcome will be a draft health promotion plan that addresses a specific priority health issue in a specific urban, regional or remote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community. The conceptual and technical tools learned may then be built upon and applied to any health issue in any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander setting.

Injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children, adolescents and people of working age in Australia and globally. This unit aims to provide students with a clear understanding of the magnitude of the injury burden, both in higher and lower income countries, and the strategies that are required to address this burden. During the 2 day workshop, guest speakers will outline issues relevant to the general injury prevention field and students will participate in interactive small group work which will focus on issues relevant to cause-specific injuries, in collaboration with guest contributors. Topics covered include road injury, occupational injury, fall injury, drowning, suicide, injury in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, burns, and injury in resource poor settings.

The unit consists of learning topics, each of which is supported by extensive Web based resources, and 4 moderated online discussion forums, each focusing on a problem related to tobacco use and control. Lecture topics include: history of tobacco use and control; the burden of illness from tobacco use; secondhand smoke: the research evidence; measuring tobacco use, uptake and cessation in communities; international trends in tobacco consumption; the tobacco industry; the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and new forms of tobacco advertising and promotion. Problem focused discussion forums include: Harm reduction and tobacco control, regulation of tobacco, improving and implementing pack warnings; promoting smoking cessation, prevention of uptake (youth programs); denormalisation of the tobacco industry; controlling advertising; and controlling exposure to tobacco smoke, making news on tobacco and influencing political policy on tobacco.

Introducing Qualitative Health Research is perfect if you're a beginner and want to gain an overview of this research approach. Over the course of the unit we will address: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? What research problems can it address? How do I design a qualitative study? What are the different (and best) ways to generate data? How do you analyse qualitative data? How are theories used in qualitative research? What is good quality qualitative research? Can I generalise qualitative findings? You will get practical experience and skills through carrying out an observation, participating in a focus group, conducting an interview, analysing data, arguing for qualitative research in health, and appraising the quality of published literature. You will also meet working qualitative researchers and hear about their projects. This introductory Unit will give you the skills and confidence to begin evaluating qualitative literature and doing qualitative research for yourself.

This unit aims to provide a public health perspective of the population impact of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). On completion of this unit, students should be able to: (i) Understand the underlying principles of the surveillance systems used to monitor STIs; (ii) Understand the core risk activity groups involved in the transmission of STIs; (iii) Understand how the epidemiologies of STIs vary within and between societies; (iv) Understand the public health impacts of STIs; and (v) Understand effective preventative strategies at individual and community levels. Course content will include an introduction to the basic biology of STIs; epidemiology and surveillance methods; STI service delivery considerations; STI/HIV interactions, impact of vulnerable at-risk populations; health promotion for STIs; policy approaches; and ethical and legal issues.

This unit aims to provide a public health perspective of the impact of HIV infection. It is available in both online and face to face modes. On completion of the unit, students should be able to: (i) Understand the underlying principles of the surveillance systems used to monitor HIV infection; (ii) Understand the core risk activity groups involved in the transmission of HIV; (iii) Understand how the epidemiology of HIV infection varies within and between societies; (iv) Understand the public health impacts of HIV infection; and (v) Understand the effective prevention strategies. Course content will include an introduction to the basic science of HIV infection; epidemiology and surveillance; sexual blood borne and mother to child transmission; STI/HIV interactions; other methods of transmission; health promotion for HIV prevention; government perspectives; and ethical and legal issues.

This unit aims to describe the epidemiology, microbiology, pathogenesis, clinical features and management strategies for the common Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). On completion of this unit, students should be able to: (i) Discuss the microbiology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of the common STIs; (ii) Demonstrate an understanding of the clinical spectrum of STIs, including asymptomatic infection, genital manifestations, extragenital manifestations and problems related to pregnancy; and (iii) When discussing STI management, students will understand the impact of STIs at individual and population levels and how needs differ with risk activity groups and geographical locations. HIV infection will only be covered in the context of its interactions with other STIs. Course content will include the basic anatomy, physiology and clinical skills required for the investigation of STIs; the epidemiology, microbiology and clinical aspects of the following conditions: vaginal discharge, urethral discharge, genital ulceration, upper genital tract infections, sexually transmitted hepatitis, syphilis, anogenital warts and cancer, genital infestations, genital dermatology and other conditions likely to present in a sexual health context. Issues related to difficulties of access to treatment, the challenges faced in resource-poor settings and syndromic management will also be covered.

This unit aims to describe the epidemiology, biology, pathogenesis and clinical contexts of HIV infection.
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: (i) Understand the laboratory, clinical and social aspects of the diagnosis and management of HIV infection. Course content will include underlying scientific principles of diagnostics, virology, immunology and pathogenesis as applicable to HIV infection; clinical aspects of HIV infection, including seroconversion, asymptomatic infection, early symptomatic disease, major opportunistic infections (including AIDS-related conditions), tumours and death. Emphasis will be placed on prophylaxis, antiretrovirals for prevention and treatment and the management of associated conditions. Legal, ethical and social contexts will also be discussed.

This unit aims to introduce the constructs of adolescent sexuality, explore the determinants of adolescent sexual health and to discuss the personal and public health implications of adolescent sexuality, with additional emphasis on a deeper exploration of an area of adolescent sexual health that is of particular interest to the student. The mainareas of learning are: adolescent sexuality, adolescent sexual health, reproductive health issues in adolescence, diversity, legal and ethical issues and sexual health promotion. On completion of this unit of study, students should be able to: (i) Describe the biological, developmental and socio-cultural contexts of adolescent sexual health as well as the constructs, challenges and diversities of adolescent sexuality. They will learn techniques used to optimise communication with adolescents and explore legal, ethical and public health implications of adolescent sexuality; and (ii) Understand and describe one area of adolescent sexual health that the student chooses to study in depth from a list of suggestions.