This course examines the fundamental concepts in environmental health, health needs assessment, and environmental risk assessment and management. This will include a range of environmental risks, including water and food quality, sanitation, air quality, occupational health, environmental toxicology and the built environment. This course will also examine the pathways through which climate change is likely to influence human health. These include the likely health effects of rising ambient temperatures, shifting patterns of vector-borne and food-borne diseases, physical and mental health risks of extreme weather events, potential food and water insecurity, occupational health risks, and the likely impacts of climate change on health equity, vulnerability and resilience.
This course will provide an introduction to research methodologies used to examine the relationships between environment and health, and examine the determinants and management of health protection. The emphasis will be on understanding the literature linking environment to health, the assessment of health risks and benefits associated with environmental factors, and the evaluation of frameworks designed to protect public health, including the risks and benefits associated with current and future climate change.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Recognise environmental risks to health and the key steps and principles of environmental health risk assessment;
- Describe and discuss the direct and indirect pathways that connect human health, environment and climate change;
- Evaluate health protection policy and strategies at local, state, national and international scales, including responses to existing and emerging environmental risks;
- Reflect on and critically appraise the impacts of environment and climate change on health equity, vulnerability and resilience, and the consequences for the balance of risks and benefits to health;
- Critically appraise the roles, methods and responses of different sectors (research, health, public policy) in raising community awareness of environmental health issues, responding to existing and emerging environmental health threats, and supporting the development of effective climate change adaptation strategies to protect population health.
Other Information
Human Health, Environment and Climate Change will involve attendance and participation for 3 contact hours each week during the first semester 2014, with an expectation of 6-7 hours of additional, self-directed work, including course readings, assignments and group work. Part 1 and part 2 of this course will run sequentially over the 13 weeks of Semester 1. Throughout the course, the emphasis will be on understanding the relationship between environmental risks and human health, interpreting published works in the area and evaluating the relevant assessments, strategies and policies.
Lectures and small group tutorials will be used to facilitate learning and provide opportunities to explore specific topics in more detail.
Indicative Assessment
- One in class- short-answer assessment (approx. Week 7) on concepts and principles of environmental health (30%); (LO 1)
- Peer assessment of presentations; 2 sessions (approx. Week 3 (10%) and Week 13 (20%)) (30%); (LO 1-5)
- Main essay: Assessing the evidence using a risk assessment framework –based on a case-study of health-related impacts of an environmental or climate change related factor in a specific contextual setting (1,500 words written assessment) (30%); (LO 2-4)
- Participation in online discussion forum: 10% (LO 1-5)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The course is based on pre-reading , lectures , tutorials , facilitated group work and self-directed learning . Each topic is covered in a lecture.
The workload will include:
- Attendance and participation over 13 weeks. Each week will consist of 3.5 contact hours.
- Additional time, pre-reading and preparing for tutorials, self-directed study and completing the assessments (~2 hours per contact hour) is expected.
Prescribed Texts
A reading list will be provided for each session.
Recommended books:
Howard Frumkin (Editor). Environmental Health: From global to local, Jossey-Bass; 2nd Edition. 2010. ISBN-13: 978-0787973834
McMichael A, Campbell-Lendrum D, Ebi K, Githeko A, Scheraga J, Woodward A, eds. Climate change and human health: risks and responses. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2003. p. 250. ISBN-13: 978-9241562485
Confalonieri, U., B. Menne, R. Akhtar, K.L. Ebi, M. Hauengue, R.S. Kovats, B. Revich and A. Woodward, 2007: Human health. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 391-431.
Relevant sections of IPCC AR5 - 5th Assessment Report: due for release in September 2013.
Assumed Knowledge
This course is designed for public health professionals and post graduate students from a range of disciplines seeking to gain skills and expertise in the fields of environmental health and climate change, specifically as they relate to health and strategies to optimise health outcomes.
Basic epidemiological knowledge and biostatistics skills would be helpful but not essential.
Recommended courses (not prerequisites):
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $4260 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $6060 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
