Module manager: Dr. Maryam Ba-Break
Email: m.m.ba-break@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
The same as the course
Implications of Conflicts & Emergencies on Health Care Systems (NUFF5305M)
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module is a 15-credit module that introduces key Threats to Global Health, explaining their trends and the importance of preparedness and resilience to provide appropriate responses for better control of the health consequences of these threats. With the world increasingly interconnected, issues such as pandemics, antibiotic resistance, climate change, conflict, natural and manmade disasters disaster, immigrations and displacement pose significant risks to global health security. This module explores the epidemiology, social impacts, and policy implications of these threats, examining how they emerge, spread, and are managed through global and public health interventions and international cooperation. By analysing case studies and current trends, students gain insights into prevention, preparedness, and response frameworks, equipping them with the skills to assess and contribute to solutions for future global health crises. The module aims to provide students with a deeper understanding of the complex interactions among communities, organizations, and nations, emphasizing that global health relies on multi-sectoral, whole-of-society readiness to address current hazards while building resilience against future, unknown threats. It offers opportunities to learn from past global health security challenges and responses, helping to strengthen individual and health system capacities and to foster sustainable multi-sectoral innovations. Consideration for diverse student needs - Students are supported by the module leader, academic tutor, and program team that considers student interests, needs, and progress. - Module material and learning resources are uploaded to Minerva in advance so that students can access material and resources according to their pace of work. - Learning content on Minerva supports student learning at their own pace, including videos and case studies. Decolonised approach - Students and lecturers are invited to reflect on diverse knowledge that is not often seen in formal global public health literature. Case studies and examples on low- and middle-income countries will be used. Inequities, rights, and social justice Students are taught the importance of having an equity, rights, and social justice focus and how it can be used to address inequities.
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
1- discuss key current and past threats to global health security, analyse the responses to these threats, and evaluate proactive and reactive strategies for addressing future challenges;
2- demonstrate a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between communities, organizations, and nations, highlighting the need for multi-sectoral, whole-of-society approaches in global health to address current hazards and build resilience against future, unforeseen threats.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1- Identify significant global health threats and analyse their causes, prevalence, trends, and impacts on global populations.
2- Critically evaluate various health strategies and interventions designed to mitigate global health threats, assessing their effectiveness, limitations, and adaptability across diverse contexts.
3- Identify key stakeholders, including international health organizations, governments, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and examine their roles in responding to global health threats.
4- Assess policies, regulations, and emergency response protocols aimed at reducing global health disparities.
5- Explain and apply the principles of health system preparedness, resilience, and response to global health threats.
6- Propose sustainable, evidence-based solutions to emerging global health threats, considering social, economic, and environmental factors that influence public health outcomes globally.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
Technical:
1- Identify past, present, and predicted future threats to global health security, such as pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, global warming, natural and human-made disasters
2- Implement principles of health system preparedness, resilience, and response across different scenarios, including routine practice.
3- Analyze global health threats using multi-sectoral approaches and equity measures, with a focus on vulnerable populations.
Academic Skills
4- Identify relevant sources of information across various perspectives, contexts, and disciplines, applying critical thinking to analyze complex issues while ensuring correct referencing.
5- Communicate proficiently in academic English, utilizing appropriate technology to convey ideas clearly and professionally.
Enterprise and work ready Skills
6- Apply situation analysis and critical appraisal to make evidence-based decisions, effectively communicate global health issues, and utilize relevant information sources to strengthen interventions.
As it is impossible to cover all global health threats in detail in one module, this module provides a general approach to understanding and preparing for the global rise of key global health threats, using the following illustrative examples:
1- Climate change and its health consequences
2- Antimicrobial Resistance
3- Health of refugees and displaced peoples;
4- Disaster preparedness and response
5- The One Health approach, Global Health Security Agenda and International Health Regulations
6- Role of digital health, AI, and big data in threat detection and response and Innovative health technologies in resource-limited settings;
7- Lessons learned from past pandemics and their impacts on other health problems and determinants
8- Role of surveillance and data analytics in detecting global health threats
9- Risk communication and community engagement in Responses to Emerging Threats
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fieldwork | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Lecture | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| Practical | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Seminar | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| Private study hours | 117 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 33 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
Opportunities for formative feedback to monitor student progress are provided through:
- The Discussion Board on Minerva where the module leader monitors students' selection of topics and assessment preparation, answers questions, and provides feedback
- Observation of class dynamics and discussions. Verbal feedback will be given by the lecturers.
- Group work and discussions - verbal feedback on both the content and process will be provided by the lecturer.
- Questions and answers session where students receive feedback on their topic selection, approach, and proposed intervention.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Poster presentation - This assignment assesses: 1. Knowledge of fundamental concepts of a particular threat to global health. 2. Ability to analyse the determinants of this global health threat in a particular context and its implications. 3. Ability to critique key strategies to respond to this threat considering multi-sectoral approach and various stakeholders | 100 |
| Coursework | Formative assessment: Individual presentation of the plan for their essay; Student are given the opportunity to submit their plan for their essay on Minerva and they receive feedback on that before they submit their summative essay | 0 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Students will be divided into groups to discuss one key threat to global health and identify its prevalence, trend, causes, potential responses and key stakeholders, and relevant equity issues. This is to prepare them for making individual posters on some aspects of this key threat. Because elements of assessment within a module test different learning outcomes compensation, in the event of failure of one component, the module mark will be capped at 50 on a successful resit.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 11/03/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team