MPH7108 Occupational, Environmental and One Health

This course gives students an introduction to as well as an overview of the key areas of environmental health and occupational health. It will enable the students to acquire scientific knowledge, appropriate attitude and, adequate skills to handle and manage human environment at all levels of health service delivery. Using the acquired skills and competencies the students will thus play a significant role in the promotion of environmental and occupational health in Uganda and beyond. The course covers toxicology, biophysics, and ergonomics and the impact of human activity to water, soil, air, food and the ecosystem. The course will consist of a series of lectures and will cover principles derived from core environmental health disciplines. In addition to academic concepts, the course topics will also be discussed from a field-practitioners point of view. 

Course aim 

The aim of this course is to provide the student with the ability to recognize environmental and occupational hazards and use scientific methods to mitigate environmental degradation. Be able to advise the authorities on occupation health and work place safety for public health. 

Course learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand and demonstrate skills and knowledge required in the promotion of better Environmental and occupational health in the communities and work environments. 
• Understand and comprehend definitions and major operational concepts in environmental and occupational health.
• Describe specific applications of environmental health concepts to fields such as water quality control, food safety, occupational health, and injury prevention.
• Define the major types, sources, and environmental distribution of environmental agents and predict the nature of the agent’s adverse effects from its physical, chemical, or biological properties, and how that may influence environmental or public health
• Analyze causes of environmental pollution and propose strategies to address them.
• Describe methods used in epidemiology and toxicology to conduct risk assessment, asses’ exposures and hazard.
• Appraise water supply and food management systems and understand appropriate interventions to prevent water and food borne diseases in communities.
• Appraise waste management systems and understand appropriate methods for safe waste disposal and prevention of waste related diseases. 
• Discuss the Strategies, approaches and Tools used for sanitation and hygiene promotion in Uganda and other countries.
• Describe the Emerging and re-emerging environmental health threats and Diseases (climate change, microbial disease resistance, disease out breaks and diseases of the 21st century.
• Describe the Occupational health and safety legal, policy and Institutional frame work
• Comprehend the ILO code of practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of work
• Describe current legislation and regulation regarding environmental issues