James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2003

TM5550:03

Rural and Remote Environmental Health

External HECS Band 2

Semester 1.

Staff: Dr D Canyon (Coordinator).

A multidisciplinary community-based subject that will equip health professionals to influence, plan and manage changes at the community level that will contribute to reducing the incidence and impact of environmental health risks in rural, remote and Indigenous communities. Social and environmental injustice pervades rural and remote Australia with devastating effects leading to a vast disparity in the disease burden as compared to urban areas. This subject provides information on existing environmental risk factors and develops skills, knowledge and competency in the areas of management and planning which will provide the confidence required to undertake leadership roles in this area. Areas to be examined are health issues relating to rural, remote and Indigenous settings, use of appropriate settlement design to achieve definite health improvements and issues related to rural industry and emergency situations.

Learning Objectives:

  1. to understand the extent of health problems related to rural and remote environmental conditions and to develop the ability to critically analyse and evaluate the claims, evidence and arguments relating to social justice;
  2. to learn about environmental issues relating to health in the mining industry and public health engineering requirements relating to rural, remote and Indigenous communities in normal and emergency situations;
  3. to build up a coherent and disciplined body of communication, literacy and numeracy skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics and to expand problem solving capacity by defining and solving problems relating to the planning and development of remote aboriginal settlements;
  4. to learn what steps are being taken and what resources are available and to understand the interactions between individuals and communities, various interfaces (physical and cultural landscapes) and project outcomes and settlement plans.

Assessment by reports (60%); examination (40%).