TM5514 - Environmental Health

Credit points:	03
Year:	2011
Student Contribution Band:	Band 2
Administered by:	Sch Public Health,Trop Medicine&Rehabilitation Sc

Public health is strongly influenced by the environment and many illnesses can be initiated, promoted, sustained or stimulated by environmental factors. Environmental health is thus concerned with assessing, understanding and controlling the impacts of an ever-increasing and resource-hungry human population on the environment and conversely, the impacts of the environment on populations. This subject thus provides frameworks for the investigation and management of environmental health problems, reviews the routes of exposure (air, water, sanitation, food and agriculture), and addresses issues pertaining to sustainable development (settlements, urbanisation, energy, industry, global concerns, Indigenous issues and emergency situations). Assessments are based on the increasing need for public health professionals to develop capacity to identify and research problems, formulate improved solutions and explain human implications to the public.

Learning Outcomes

• to develop critical thinking and the ability to analyse and evaluate environmental issues related to public health;
• to develop the ability to investigate environmental changes and solve human health problems related to these changes;
• to develop an awareness of the extent of health problems that relate to environmental issues;
• to become familiar with a selection of current environmental health issues and to learn what steps are being taken and what resources are available for their management;
• to acquire a coherent and disciplined body of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethids and to be able to adapt these skills to recognise new problematic situations that require improvement;
• to engender excitement for the subject to encourage life-long learning and intellectual attainment.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to appraise information critically;
• The ability to use independent judgment to synthesise information to make intellectual and/or creative advances;
• The ability to think laterally and be original.

Availabilities
External, Study Period 2
Census Date 25-Aug-2011
Coord/Lect:	Mr David Sellars, Professor Peter Leggat.
Method of Delivery:	WWW - LearnJCU
Assessment:	other exams (50%); assignments (50%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.