This unit aims to develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy as well as provide students with an understanding of the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics and political economy. It gives an overview of the political choices and frameworks that shape decision making in health. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Define the boundaries and key features of health policy; Identify policy instruments and how they function; Understand the main frameworks used for analysing health policy, and different approaches and perspectives regarding setting priorities in health policy; Apply methods and principles of health economics e.g. resource scarcity, opportunity cost, efficiency and equity to practical real-life examples; Critically analyse the role of economic evidence in informing policy decisions in health decision-making in Australia.

This unit aims to equip students with operational knowledge of the structures and financing of health systems. The focus will be on Australia and comparable countries. However, we will also look at particular issues around lower income and aid dependent health systems. Topics covered include funding priorities and mechanisms, the debates over the public-private mix, governance and accountability. The unit addresses questions such as: Who makes decisions about funding priorities? To whom should decision makers be held accountable and for what aspects of their work? How does health financing shape universal health coverage? By the end of this unit students will be able to: Apply a critical understanding of the basic history and features of the Australian and comparable health systems; Debate the main models and principles of health system funding, including principles of insurance, risk-pooling, equity, delivery and governance; Undertake a cross-country comparative analysis of health system features and outcomes, including low and middle income countries; Critically analyse national health budgets and funding programs; Locate finance policy in the wider context of health systems and economies.

Health policy analysis involves examining the components of health policy and the health policy process – it is the study of both the causes of policy decisions and the consequences of these decisions. Health policy analysis requires us to consider the complexity of policy making, and the political, economic, social, cultural and historical context within which this occurs. This unit aims to develop skills for undertaking health policy research and analysis and is underpinned by systems thinking principles to equip students with the skills to embrace complexity in researching and evaluating health policy. We take a multidisciplinary approach to familiarise students with fundamental frameworks and methodologies that can be applied to health policy research and analysis. By the end of the unit students will be able to: Define policy and formulate research questions that can be used to analyse policy and policy processes; Understand and apply systems thinking approaches to policy analysis; Understand and explain the different methodological approaches and research paradigms that can be applied in policy analysis; Apply a critical analysis to a case study of policy success or failure; Identify appropriate study designs, research methodologies, data collection methods and analysis frameworks for specific policy research questions; Design a systems thinking-informed analysis of a current policy issue.

This unit aims to develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy as well as provide students with an understanding of the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics and political economy. It gives an overview of the political choices and frameworks that shape decision making in health. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Define the boundaries and key features of health policy; Identify policy instruments and how they function; Understand the main frameworks used for analysing health policy, and different approaches and perspectives regarding setting priorities in health policy; Apply methods and principles of health economics e.g. resource scarcity, opportunity cost, efficiency and equity to practical real-life examples; Critically analyse the role of economic evidence in informing policy decisions in health decision-making in Australia.

This unit aims to equip students with operational knowledge of the structures and financing of health systems. The focus will be on Australia and comparable countries. However, we will also look at particular issues around lower income and aid dependent health systems. Topics covered include funding priorities and mechanisms, the debates over the public-private mix, governance and accountability. The unit addresses questions such as: Who makes decisions about funding priorities? To whom should decision makers be held accountable and for what aspects of their work? How does health financing shape universal health coverage? By the end of this unit students will be able to: Apply a critical understanding of the basic history and features of the Australian and comparable health systems; Debate the main models and principles of health system funding, including principles of insurance, risk-pooling, equity, delivery and governance; Undertake a cross-country comparative analysis of health system features and outcomes, including low and middle income countries; Critically analyse national health budgets and funding programs; Locate finance policy in the wider context of health systems and economies.

Health policy analysis involves examining the components of health policy and the health policy process – it is the study of both the causes of policy decisions and the consequences of these decisions. Health policy analysis requires us to consider the complexity of policy making, and the political, economic, social, cultural and historical context within which this occurs. This unit aims to develop skills for undertaking health policy research and analysis and is underpinned by systems thinking principles to equip students with the skills to embrace complexity in researching and evaluating health policy. We take a multidisciplinary approach to familiarise students with fundamental frameworks and methodologies that can be applied to health policy research and analysis. By the end of the unit students will be able to: Define policy and formulate research questions that can be used to analyse policy and policy processes; Understand and apply systems thinking approaches to policy analysis; Understand and explain the different methodological approaches and research paradigms that can be applied in policy analysis; Apply a critical analysis to a case study of policy success or failure; Identify appropriate study designs, research methodologies, data collection methods and analysis frameworks for specific policy research questions; Design a systems thinking-informed analysis of a current policy issue.

The aim of this unit is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to identify and articulate political and policy processes at the global level, become familiar with institutions and actors involved in global health policy, and utilize strategies for influencing policy making at the global level. We analyse the influence and power of institutions and actors in the development and implementation of global health policy, and investigate the governance of global health policy responses. Teaching makes extensive use of current case studies from recognised experts in the field. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Explain the effects of globalization on health of populations; Demonstrate how events and trends in health and non-health areas affect global health policy; Identify and classify the different types of actors/institutions that influence health policy; Undertake a policy stakeholder analysis with reference to power, influence and interests; Develop strategies to influence global health policy development and implementation; Define global health governance and its role in structuring and regulating global health policy.

This unit aims to develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy as well as provide students with an understanding of the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics and political economy. It gives an overview of the political choices and frameworks that shape decision making in health. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Define the boundaries and key features of health policy; Identify policy instruments and how they function; Understand the main frameworks used for analysing health policy, and different approaches and perspectives regarding setting priorities in health policy; Apply methods and principles of health economics e.g. resource scarcity, opportunity cost, efficiency and equity to practical real-life examples; Critically analyse the role of economic evidence in informing policy decisions in health decision-making in Australia.

This unit aims to equip students with operational knowledge of the structures and financing of health systems. The focus will be on Australia and comparable countries. However, we will also look at particular issues around lower income and aid dependent health systems. Topics covered include funding priorities and mechanisms, the debates over the public-private mix, governance and accountability. The unit addresses questions such as: Who makes decisions about funding priorities? To whom should decision makers be held accountable and for what aspects of their work? How does health financing shape universal health coverage? By the end of this unit students will be able to: Apply a critical understanding of the basic history and features of the Australian and comparable health systems; Debate the main models and principles of health system funding, including principles of insurance, risk-pooling, equity, delivery and governance; Undertake a cross-country comparative analysis of health system features and outcomes, including low and middle income countries; Critically analyse national health budgets and funding programs; Locate finance policy in the wider context of health systems and economies.

Health policy analysis involves examining the components of health policy and the health policy process – it is the study of both the causes of policy decisions and the consequences of these decisions. Health policy analysis requires us to consider the complexity of policy making, and the political, economic, social, cultural and historical context within which this occurs. This unit aims to develop skills for undertaking health policy research and analysis and is underpinned by systems thinking principles to equip students with the skills to embrace complexity in researching and evaluating health policy. We take a multidisciplinary approach to familiarise students with fundamental frameworks and methodologies that can be applied to health policy research and analysis. By the end of the unit students will be able to: Define policy and formulate research questions that can be used to analyse policy and policy processes; Understand and apply systems thinking approaches to policy analysis; Understand and explain the different methodological approaches and research paradigms that can be applied in policy analysis; Apply a critical analysis to a case study of policy success or failure; Identify appropriate study designs, research methodologies, data collection methods and analysis frameworks for specific policy research questions; Design a systems thinking-informed analysis of a current policy issue.

The aim of this unit is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to identify and articulate political and policy processes at the global level, become familiar with institutions and actors involved in global health policy, and utilize strategies for influencing policy making at the global level. We analyse the influence and power of institutions and actors in the development and implementation of global health policy, and investigate the governance of global health policy responses. Teaching makes extensive use of current case studies from recognised experts in the field. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Explain the effects of globalization on health of populations; Demonstrate how events and trends in health and non-health areas affect global health policy; Identify and classify the different types of actors/institutions that influence health policy; Undertake a policy stakeholder analysis with reference to power, influence and interests; Develop strategies to influence global health policy development and implementation; Define global health governance and its role in structuring and regulating global health policy.

The aim of this unit is to increase students' understanding about the links between evidence and policy and planning and to build skills for making an evidence based case for change and implementing evidence based policy. The unit also advances conceptualisations of evidence for policy to include citizen, consumer and community experience as evidence. The teaching of this course will include: lectures, critical appraisal workshops, guest presentations from leading policy makers and student presentations of how evidence from research can assist them to address real world issues.. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Use evidence to identify areas that require policy change; Search for and critically appraise evidence for policy design and implementation; Understand key theories of the use of evidence in policy and practice; Critically analyse the role of evidence in policy and political processes; Understand citizen and community experience as evidence; Use evidence effectively in a case for policy change.

In this capstone unit students work independently to develop a complete proposal for a policy that could be implemented in the real world. This unit builds on the skills developed in HPOL5003 and HPOL5008 and enables students to apply the knowledge they have gained across their degree. Drawing on their work experience or interests, students will choose a topic for their policy project, which must be approved by the Unit Coordinator. By the conclusion of the project, students will have developed a complete policy document including: a clearly articulated policy problem; an appraisal of relevant evidence and possible options; identification of an appropriate policy solution; an analysis of the environment in which the policy will be introduced; and a plan for implementation and evaluation. The project will be presented at the final workshop or online via recorded video. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Identify and articulate a problem that is amenable to a policy solution; Identify factors and stakeholders supporting and resisting policy change, and strategies required to facilitate adoption of policy change; Identify policy options and advocate for a policy solutions; Develop a clear plan for policy implementation, evaluation and funding; Effectively research, write and communicate a new policy.

BETH5104 Bioethics, Law and Policy centres on the following question: What is the relationship between bioethics, law and policy? The goal of the course is to investigate the effects of bioethics debates on law and policy (e.g., UNESCO’S Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights),and how law and policy shape some of the issues we address in bioethics (e.g., voluntary assisted dying in Victoria). We will explore key similarities and differences between law and bioethics, in terms of subject matter and in terms of approaches and methods as well. Topics and cases related to clinical medicine, public and global health, and research will guide the conceptual work we will conduct collectively and individually.

This unit provides students with an overview of the ethical and political issues that underlie public health policy and practice. The unit begins with some fundamentals about the nature of public health. We then explore key concepts in public health ethics including equity, liberty, utility, justice, and solidarity, and consider different ways of reasoning about the ethics of public health. A range of current public health problems and issues are presented and discussed, including ‘lifestyle’ diseases, screening, public mental health, health communication, and pandemics. Throughout, the emphasis is on learning to make sound arguments about the ethical aspects of public health policy, practice and research. Students will be encouraged to ask questions, and to compare and debate competing answers to those questions. What is public health? To what extent should we each be free to engage in practices that harm our health? What is the proper role of the state in attempting to change the health of populations? What is equity and why does it matter (and why aren’t we doing more about it)? Most learning occurs in the context of five teaching interactive intensives and the assigned course readings, which focus on the development and application of reasoning skills.

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.

This course is specifically designed for health professionals working in health care. It will equip participants with underpinning knowledge about patient safety. The course modules cover quality and safety principles, professionalism and ethics, the blame culture, risk information, health care as a system, the impact of adverse events, methods to measure and make improvements in health care. The modules, tools and the discussions are designed to enable participants to change behaviour by understanding the main causes of adverse events. The course provides foundation knowledge about quality and safety. Governments around the world are concerned to address unsafe care. The course will prepare health professional to understand the complexity of health care and take steps to minimise the opportunities for errors and address vulnerabilities in the system.

This unit assesses the political and security significance of disease-related events and developments. Whether one contemplates historical experiences with smallpox, the contemporary challenges posed by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and SARS, or the risks arising from new scientific developments such as synthetic biology, it is clear that diseases exercise a powerful influence over civilised humankind. The unit concentrates on areas in which human health and security concerns intersect most closely, including: biological weapons; fast-moving disease outbreaks of natural origin; safety and security in microbiology laboratories; and the relationships between infectious disease patterns, public health capacity, state functioning and violent conflict. The overall aim of the unit is to provide students with a stronger understanding of the scientific and political nature of these problems, why and how they might threaten security, and the conceptual and empirical connections between them.

This unit provides students with an understanding of the individual and societal risks of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) wherever they occur, including community settings, and the rationale for, and barriers to, their prevention and control. The unit builds on a basic understanding of medical microbiology, epidemiology and infectious diseases and explores important contemporary concepts to the science and practice of infection prevention and control. The unit examines contemporary definitions of HAIs, their significance to individual, societal and population health, how they are transmitted and the science and practice of interrupt this transmission using infection prevention and control. Topics include the use of standard and transmission-based precautions, outbreak management and the challenges that are associated with antimicrobial resistance and the management of emerging and high-consequence infectious diseases.

This unit introduces students to the principles and foundations of health research methodologies and ethics. Students will learn about the main methodologies used to conduct research that is scientifically and ethically sound and be able to critically appraise and review literature. We will introduce common study designs and research methodologies, including qualitative, epidemiologic and clinical studies, and discuss their strengths and limitations. We will introduce students to the main principles of conducting data analysis and the basis to choose amongst different statistical methods. Obtaining ethics approval is necessary for any study involving the collection or analysis of data involving humans, animals or their tissues. Hence, in this unit we will cover ethics in research and when and how to apply for ethics approval. Students will also learn about main concepts in health economics and economical evaluations of interventions and health policies.

This unit of study introduces you to qualitative research in health. It is designed for beginners and people who want an advanced level introduction. We will examine core concepts like methodology and reflexivity; consider approaches to research design (including sampling and developing research questions), data collection (including interviewing, focus group, observation, visual methods) and analysis; and discuss frameworks for thinking about research ethics and research quality. You will get practical experience in research design, data collection, data analysis and evaluating published qualitative literature. Throughout we will consider the value of qualitative approaches for constructing knowledge about health and hear from working qualitative researchers about how they use qualitative methods in their work.

This advanced unit of study extends students' practical and theoretical knowledge of qualitative research to provide advanced concepts and skills in qualitative data analysis and writing. We will explore the principles of qualitative analysis, review different analytic strategies and key analytic tools. You will learn how to develop codes and themes, use memos and analytic maps, and interpret data through the process of writing. You will learn about starting writing, structuring articles, making analytic arguments, and editing your own work. Throughout, we will consider what it means to think and write 'qualitatively'. Students will conduct a Thematic Analysis on a portfolio of qualitative data and produce a results and discussion section for a journal article. After completing this unit, you will have increased your experience, skills and confidence in qualitative data analysis and writing.

Healthcare is now one of the largest employers and sectors in the Australian economy. Approximately two thirds of its funding comes from government, while two thirds of services are provided by the private sector. This unit explores this complex mix, building an understanding of the inter-relationships among the players in the industry, public and private. The course will explore the financial and regulatory environment in which providers operate and identify the main business models used by different players in the industry, including service providers, private insurers, employers, and government regulators. The unit draws on expert lecturers, international comparisons and case studies to give an understanding of the incentives and constraints that shape strategies to create value in health care. By the end of the unit students will: Have an understanding of the 'eco-system' of health care; Be able to navigate the regulatory and technological aspects of business in the health sector; Be able to identify and evaluate public and private business strategies and business plans in the main health care sectors.

The aim of this unit is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to identify and articulate political and policy processes at the global level, become familiar with institutions and actors involved in global health policy, and utilize strategies for influencing policy making at the global level. We analyse the influence and power of institutions and actors in the development and implementation of global health policy, and investigate the governance of global health policy responses. Teaching makes extensive use of current case studies from recognised experts in the field. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Explain the effects of globalization on health of populations; Demonstrate how events and trends in health and non-health areas affect global health policy; Identify and classify the different types of actors/institutions that influence health policy; Undertake a policy stakeholder analysis with reference to power, influence and interests; Develop strategies to influence global health policy development and implementation; Define global health governance and its role in structuring and regulating global health policy.

The aim of this unit is to increase students' understanding about the links between evidence and policy and planning and to build skills for making an evidence based case for change and implementing evidence based policy. The unit also advances conceptualisations of evidence for policy to include citizen, consumer and community experience as evidence. The teaching of this course will include: lectures, critical appraisal workshops, guest presentations from leading policy makers and student presentations of how evidence from research can assist them to address real world issues.. By the end of this unit students will be able to: Use evidence to identify areas that require policy change; Search for and critically appraise evidence for policy design and implementation; Understand key theories of the use of evidence in policy and practice; Critically analyse the role of evidence in policy and political processes; Understand citizen and community experience as evidence; Use evidence effectively in a case for policy change.

Many who come to assume leadership roles in health care often come to this responsibility without any exposure to leadership theory. Given this, HPOL5012 focuses on combining the development of an understanding of leadership theory with the personal development of students as health care leaders because ultimately leadership is about what you do, not what you know. Initially this is done by exploring the history of leadership theory and then taking this learning and applying it to the health care environment through a hierarchy that moves through ‘leading self’ then onto teams, organisations and ultimately society. The aim of this unit is to increase students' knowledge of leadership theory and their understanding of the connections between this theory and practice so as to assist their personal development as leaders in health care.

There is a need to improve the efficient and cost-effective use of health care technologies and services at all levels of the health system. This unit covers all aspects of the policy, assessment, monitoring and re-assessment of technologies and services, and techniques to support investment and disinvestment decision-making by public payers and funders. Students will work through key concepts in health technology assessment as well as the key institutions and processes for regulating and managing the use of health technologies. Students will work through real world scenarios as case examples.

This unit gives candidates essential knowledge of prevention and control of communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries using country-specific examples. After successfully completing this unit of study, candidates will understand the key issues in communicable diseases and their control in developing countries, as well as gain the knowledge and insight on how prevention and control mechanisms and programs are developed for these diseases in resource-poor settings. The unit covers disease emergence, respiratory tract infections (including TB), vector-borne infections, food- and water-borne infections, neurological infections, neglected tropical diseases, bloodborne and sexually transmitted infections (including HIV) and drug-resistant infections.

Women and children’s health are critically important for the health of a population. If women are healthy, they have healthy babies, and healthy babies and children grow up to be healthy adults. This unit gives an introduction to the health status of women and children in resource-poor settings, and highlights the interconnectedness of women's and children's health, and why it is important to monitor and report women and children's health outcomes. This unit presents some of the major causes of morbidity and mortality for women and children around the world, with an overview of the interventions and approaches to improving outcomes from a public health perspective. Each week an expert describes a major issue related to the health of women and children. In the tutorials you facilitate a weekly discussion and thus get a deeper understanding of one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality.

This unit gives students an overview of global health aspects of forced migration and humanitarian emergencies. This includes considering problems faced by government and non-government organisations in humanitarian emergency relief efforts as well as the increasing pressures of forced migration resulting from these. Topics covered in the unit include international and human rights law, the role of donor agencies, refugee health, nutritional emergencies, site planning for refugee camps, water and sanitation, sexual violence, protection of vulnerable groups, and communicable disease surveillance and control.

This unit aims to provide students with insights into the major nutrition-related public health problems in low- and middle-income countries; knowledge and practical skills about nutritional assessment; and the design and evaluation of nutritional interventions. The content areas include an overview of nutrition as a major determinant of health and disease; methods to assess community nutritional status; the impact of maternal and child under-nutrition on mortality and overall disease burden; design and evaluation of effective interventions; issues surrounding food security; agriculture and nutrition; and nutrition policies and resources. The unit has three major segments with the first focusing on nutritional assessment, the second on prioritizing nutrition-related public health problems in low- and middle-income countries, and the third on design and evaluation of interventions. On completion, students should be able to recognise key nutritional problems facing low- and middle-income countries; have acquired knowledge and practical skills as to how to assess these problems, and have gained insights into different multi-sectoral approaches to address these problems.

This unit of study introduces you to qualitative research in a global health setting, providing you with core concepts and skills. It is designed for beginners and people who want an advanced-level introduction. Over the course of the unit we will address: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? What is its history? 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? Is methodology different to method? What are ontology and epistemology? What is reflexivity (and aren't qualitative researchers biased)? What are the ethical issues? What is good quality qualitative research? How can I use qualitative evidence in policy or practice? 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 hear from working qualitative researchers about how they use qualitative methods in their work. This unit will give you the skills and confidence to begin conducting and using qualitative research.

Effective health project design and management contribute to improving health and achieving health equity for people worldwide. The unit aims to give students a good understanding of the concepts and key elements of project design and evaluation, and to demonstrate tools and techniques used in effective project management. A detailed step by step application of the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) in project design will be presented. The Unit also gives students an opportunity for hands-on practice through the design of a project in a global setting and allows them to consider the challenges and practical issues faced by people involved in international health project management. The key topic areas covered include: concepts and principles of global health project management; context and situation analysis; the LFA for project design; project management functions including managing information, resources, risk, quality and change; and project monitoring and evaluation. At the end of the course, students should be able to: apply the Logical Framework Approach for project planning and design in global settings, apply principles and skills you have learnt in the MGH course in project design; recognise challenges and practical issues and be able to take those issues into considerations in the development of a project proposal.

This unit of study provides a broad overview of the processes involved in translating a new drug, formulation and/or medical device from a laboratory setting to an approved product. It is targeted at people interested in or already working in the pharmaceutical or medical device industries, and advisors in the regulatory sector. Three core areas are covered: (1) the regulatory organisation, (2) requirements during drug discovery and device conception, manufacture and clinical trials, and (3) post-registration pharmacovigilance and pharmacoeconomics . Students will gain knowledge of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and guidelines for the registration and regulation of medical devices and medicines. Students will also learn the importance of international regulations, harmonisation and application to the Australian market. The unit covers R and D; manufacturing and clinical trial requirements; the concepts of good laboratory and manufacturing practices (GMP, GLP) and quality by design (QbD); as well as regulator accepted laboratory methodologies used for submission of product dossiers and medical device documentation. The basics of clinical trial design will be analysed, as well as concepts of pharmacokinetics, dynamics, pharmacoeconomics and clinical endpoints for registration of new products using case studies and online tutorials. Special requirements for the registration and testing of generic medicines will also be part of the unit.

This unit introduces students to the concepts, methods and applications underpinning cancer prevention and control at the population level. It is designed to offer a broad-based perspective on public health approaches to cancer across the continuum from prevention through to screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliative and supportive care. We will critically appraise policies and interventions that have the potential to reduce cancer incidence and mortality, prolong survival and improve quality of life. Although each topic will be presented in the context of specific cancers and the Australian health care system, the principles and frameworks will be relevant for regional and global cancer control efforts. At the completion of the unit, students will be equipped with the basic tools to design, plan, implement and evaluate cancer control strategies and programs.

This course provides a systems-informed and high-level public health approach to examining the global issue of chronic diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease) and their prevention. The course examines why chronic disease is a global problem, and describes WHO frameworks for chronic disease prevention. It also reviews the epidemiology of specific chronic diseases including trends in and surveillance of these conditions, and their antecedent risk factors and conditions, and discusses the global (and country level) burden of disease. The unit will include some discussion of clinical prevention, in particular, the role of primary care, other clinicians and allied health professionals in providing lifestyle advice for people with chronic disease (tertiary prevention) and for people without chronic disease (primary prevention). Students will be involved in evaluating the effectiveness of different prevention strategies and will examine the role of health policy and strategic planning in developing effective and sustainable chronic disease management programs and health services in different settings (in Australia and the region). This unit is complementary to PUBH5555 Lifestyle and Chronic Disease Prevention, which focuses on addressing each of the major individual behavioural risk factors.

This core unit of study introduces students to evidence-based health promotion as a fundamental approach to promoting and improving health and wellbeing, preventing disease and reducing health inequalities in populations. The unit is divided into three modules: (i) the building blocks of disease prevention and health promotion, (ii) using evidence to develop disease prevention and health promotion interventions, and (iii) evaluating disease prevention and health promotion programs 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.

This unit introduces you to the theoretical and practical underpinnings of public health via a diverse range of case studies. Together we will critically analyse what public health is and what it seeks to achieve. We will explore key concepts that will be taken up in more detail in other core and elective units, challenge current orthodoxies, and seek to develop a reflective and analytical approach to public health practice and research. We will have a particular focus on exploring the health and well-being challenges experienced by indigenous peoples, migrants and other disadvantaged groups, in Australia and globally. We will do this through considering the meaning of evidence and the historical and contemporary public health context, with the aim of working together to identify ethical, innovative and effective solutions. Throughout this unit you will be encouraged to interact with your unit coordinators, tutors and fellow students, ask questions, and respectfully debate answers to questions such as: What is public health? What does it mean to think beyond the social determinants? What is equity and why does it matter?
Integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and perspectives: This unit pays particular attention to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public health challenges and solutions. The Sydney School of Public Health is committed to graduating public health professionals who have the competence and confidence to work effectively and respectfully with Australia's First Peoples. This unit will help prepare you for this work and provide important foundational knowledge that will be further advanced in concurrent and subsequent Master of Public Health units of study.

This unit will significantly advance your philosophical, theoretical and practical understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and societies within the context of public health. We will use case studies grounded in diverse urban, regional and remote communities and the life experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to explore key constructs. These include transgenerational psychic trauma, racism, political structures and systems, cultural determinants, ethics, and global indigenous epistemologies. Together we will investigate the reasons why Australia has so far been unable to close the gap across almost all indicators of health and wellbeing, and explore innovative, ethical and effective solutions. Throughout this unit you will be encouraged to interact with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics, health professionals and community members, and your unit coordinator, tutors and fellow students, and feel confident to ask difficult questions and debate the responses. Our aim is to give you the practical and conceptual knowledge and skills necessary to work respectfully and effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from across the nation.

This course aims to describe the interrelation between our environment and human populations, local communities and individuals and the health risks of environmental hazards. The unit will explore the major categories of environmental health hazards including air quality, water quality, chemical hazards (eg soils and contaminated sites), physical hazards (eg noise and radiation), microbiological hazards (eg Legionnaires' disease) and food safety. Regional and global issues of sustainability, climate change and land use planning will also be covered. The disciplines of epidemiology, toxicology and ecology will be applied within a risk assessment framework. Students completing this unit will appreciate: the multi-disciplinary nature of environmental health; the application of a risk assessment framework to characterise health risks due to environmental hazards, determine risk management options, and inform risk communication strategies; the need to work closely with a broad range of stakeholders including commonwealth and state health, environment and planning agencies, local government, industry, researchers and the community.

This unit caters for practitioners, policy and decision-makers, students and researchers in public health, public policy, journalism, law, epidemiology, medicine, science, industry, ethics, philosophy, screening, communication and advocacy. It gives a basic introduction to concepts in genetics and genomics, and covers real-life examples of how genetics and genomics is used in health settings including genomics for COVID-19 control, genomic testing and screening for cancer, familial hypercholesterolemia, newborns, community settings, and in outbreak investigations. It covers epidemiological, psychosocial, legal, ethical, education and policy aspects of genomic testing, and genetic determinants of disease.

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. Research methods in relation to substance use disorders, and the needs of special populations are also considered.

The course will provide an evidence-based introduction to public health approaches designed to promote mental health and well-being and prevent mental illness. The aim is to assist students to develop an evidence-based understanding of population mental health including epidemiology, determinants of mental health, the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention programs, mental health services and policies and mental health human rights. The emphasis is on primary prevention strategies rather than the management of those already with mental illness. Evidence-based case studies will be presented including a focus on mental health challenges for the future in specific modules such as: suicide prevention, comorbidity, mental health in developing countrues, minority groups and in the workplace. By the end of this unit, students will understand the relationship between the determinants of mental health and public health strategies to prevent mental illness and enhance wellbeing.

Comprehensive evaluation of public health and disease prevention programs is critical to developing an evidence base for public health practice as well as for accountability to stakeholders. Evaluations demonstrate the efficacy, effectiveness and/or efficiency of the program and provide models of good practice. This course builds skills in planning, conducting and using formative, process, impact and outcome evaluations of public health programs, with an emphasis on those which address public health approaches to chronic disease prevention. Using three highly interactive workshops (Workshops 1 and 2 on a consecutive Friday and Saturday) supplemented by online resources and four weeks of online discussions, students will participate in readings, group work, lectures and discussions, to develop skills in defining the purpose of an evaluation, defining the evaluation questions, selecting evaluation designs and measures for evaluation (and understand the process of measurement development). A specific focus will be on skills to critically appraise evaluations and to use results in practice. Workshop 3 will be devoted to methods for scaling up interventions to the population level, and to the design and evaluation of multi-faceted complex public health programs, including presentations by currently practicing public program managers.

The overall aim of the course is to develop students' knowledge and skills of economic evaluation as an aid to priority setting in health care. Students will be introduced to the principles of economic evaluation and develop skills in the application of those principles to resource allocation choices. Emphasis will be placed on learning by case study analysis and problem solving in small groups. This unit covers: principles and different types of economic evaluation; critical appraisal guidelines; measuring and valuing benefits; methods of costing; modeling in economic evaluation, the role of the PBAC, introduction to advanced methods including use of patient-level data and data linkage. The workshops consist of interactive lectures, class exercises and quizzes.

This unit combines decision theory and more advanced health economic concepts to provide students with hands-on skills in specialised analysis methods, and modelling techniques, for evaluating healthcare options and reaching recommendations in the face of uncertainty. Students will calculate and analyse data from clinical studies, extrapolate clinical study results to other settings, and construct models that synthesise evidence (and expert opinion) from multiple sources. Specific topics of study include: decision trees; expected utility theory; sensitivity and threshold analysis; the value of information (including screening and diagnostic tests); the calculation and analysis of costs and quality-adjusted survival using individual patient data (including bootstrapping techniques); Markov processes and micro-simulation; and presenting and interpreting the results of (health economic) evaluations. Lectures are accompanied by practical exercises and readings. Students gain experience applying the methods presented in lectures via computer practicals using Excel and decision analysis software (TreeAge).

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.

Have you ever wondered how to respond to people who hold antivaccination views, or to misinformation spreading online, or to create better institutional engagement with environmental policies? All of these situations are determined by how good our communication is. This unit aims to will familiarise students with the strategies of public health advocacy, with a focus on news reporting, online media, and political engagement. This unit covers the role of advocacy in advancing public health policy; framing public health issues; newsgathering, reporting and editing; strategies for media advocacy; political lobbying; and message dissemination; and there will be special emphasis on learning how online environments and social media tools are contributing to public health advocacy debates and campaigns. Students will learn the latest research revealing which factors most influence how people perceive and make judgments about health risks, at individual and institutional levels, and how to tailor communication to most effectively achieve your goals. Topics covered include responding to health risk events; antivaccination, anti immunisation, climate change and other 'post truth' social issues; how to best manage controversies; and what chronic disease prevention might learn from risk communication principles. . There will be an emphasis on how online environments and social media tools are contributing to public health advocacy debates and campaigns. Recent examples of how media have influenced health policy and programming will be presented. Students will have the opportunity to critique and analyse case studies from a variety of both successful and unsuccessful public health advocacy efforts. Students will examine, analyse, and prepare writing for both online and news media such as opinion pieces, media releases, blogs, and social media. The lectures will include guest speakers from non-government organisations, government and other experienced stakeholders from across the public health sector.

The unit presents critical views of climate change and the ways in which it interacts with human behaviour and population health from various disciplines, e. g. planetary health, international environmental governance and law, environmental economics, urban planning and environmental and social injustice. It addresses major public health risks associated with climate change and extremes, e. g. infectious disease, nutrition, cardiovascular disease, mental health, and indigenous health, in a broader concept of sustainability and global change. Scenarios with regards to responses to climate change, including adaptation and mitigation, will be introduced to build community resilience. This unit will provide both Australian and international perspectives on climate change and health, supported by theoretical and empirical research in both developed and developing countries.

The prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) or chronic diseases (mainly diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancers) involves shared risk factors. This unit introduces students to the principles of primordial and primary prevention and control of NCD risk factors, specifically tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, salt reduction, and obesity prevention. This unit provides an integrated exploration of the current state-of-the-art in research and practice for addressing these preventable lifestyle risk factors. The emphasis is on primordial and primary prevention strategies, rather than the management of NCDs in those already with chronic disease. This solutions-focused unit comprises specific modules about each of tobacco control, harmful alcohol consumption, physical activity, nutrition and health, salt and health, and obesity prevention. By the end of this unit, students will understand the dynamic relationships between the key risk factors, and the important role of primary prevention approaches to reducing lifestyle risks that are precursors to NCDs.