Climate and Health (IE 5512) – 15 credits
Delivered by the Institute for the Environment, in term 2 (approximately 2 hrs/week for 12 weeks).
Main aims of the module:
- To develop a broad understanding of the variety of ways in which climate affects human health
- To illustrate current thinking on the potential for human health to be impacted by a warming of the global climate
- To explore the potential for public health interventions
Main topics of study:
- fundamental descriptors of population health in humans
- epidemiological methods for assessing human and environmental health at population level
- direct mechanisms for impact of climate change on human health, incident solar radiation and cancer, impacts of climate on non-infectious diseases, changes in distribution and transmission of infectious diseases
- indirect mechanisms for impact of climate on human health: climate variability and drought, flooding, and famine
Learning Activities:
Lectures and seminars covering critical issues in relation to climate change impacts on public health, structured debate on critical issues in climate change and public health and essential additional reading that covers important issues in public health responses to climate change from a variety of disciplinary approaches
Assessment:
Coursework assessments including literature critiques, oral presentation and preparation of a mock research proposal.
