Course Profiles of Post Graduate Diploma in Population, Public Health and Disaster Management (PPDM)
Description of Courses:
POP 502: Basic Social Science Research Methods:
This course aims
to develop students’ skill in conducting research work utilizing quantitative
and qualitative research tools. The course includes ethics in social science
research, including population research, nature of scientific research, research
process, hypothesis development, research design, data collection methods,
questionnaire design and administration, sampling considerations, use of statistical
methods of data reduction and analysis, format and style of writing the research
report. It also deals with tools and techniques of Rapid Appraisal (RA), Focus Group
Discussions (FGD), case studies and in-depth interviews. In addition to
participation in theoretical classes, students are required to undertake independent
research projects to sharpen their research skills.
POP 505: Population Dynamics of Bangladesh:
The course aims to
increase awareness of students in level and trend in population size, growth and
distribution; major population, gender, reproductive health (RH) challenges of the
country and national response to meet these challenges. The course will cover the
following topics: sources of population data; trends in population size, growth and
distribution, age-sex composition of the population, sex and dependency ratio;
population distribution by rural, urban, division, district and sub-division;
levels, trends and measures of nuptiality, fertility, mortality, life expectancy at
birth, morbidity, literacy, gross and net enrollment ratio, and educational
attainment; labour force participation rate, occupation and industrial distribution
by sex and rural-urban areas and region. The course will also examine the
socio-economic implications of major population, gender and reproductive health
challenges such as population momentum, high adolescent fertility, maternal and
child mortality, rapid urbanization and high growth of labour force, environmental
degradation, high prevalence of gender based violence and girls’ trafficking,
to name but a few and policy and program response to meet these challenges. In
addition to holding theoretical lectures, tutorial classes will be organized for
in-depth discussion on major population, reproductive health and gender issues of
Bangladesh. Students will be asked to prepare term papers on major population and
development issues as part of the course requirement.
POP 509: Introduction to Public Health:
Introduction to public
health is a basic course designed to provide introductory concepts of public health.
By focusing on the historical background, evolution and objectives it also tries to
cater to the concepts of the 21st century. It will discuss concepts
of health, disease; determinants and indicator of health; background, strategies,
principles and elements of primary health care with its prospects and constrains;
universal health coverage; Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) with their targets, indicators, achievements so far and
future prospects; role of community diagnosis, community treatment, community
participation and community mobilization & responsibilities in public health;
epidemic and investigation of epidemic/ outbreak; importance of surveillance in
control of public health problems; emerging, reemerging and neglected tropical
diseases; public health emergencies with concepts of disaster and disaster
preparedness; health care service programs of Bangladesh, i.e. HNPSP, ESP, ESD,
HNPSDP; important national health programs, i.e. EPI, NASP, IMCI, NNP, NCD, Malaria,
Filaria, Kala-azar, Rabies control program, NCD, Arsenic control program; leading
national and international health organizations, i.e. WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN, UNDP,
WB, ICDDR,B, BIRDEM, BRAC with concept, history and importance of international
health. From this course students will gather comprehensive knowledge on the basic
public health issues to deal with this immense field.
POP 510: Disaster Management and Climate Change:
The objective
of the course is to improve understanding of students on the concepts of hazards,
disasters, emergency, vulnerability, risk, resilience, disaster preparedness,
disaster management, climate change, global warming and green house effect, disaster
and communications, disaster management mechanisms at national and international
scale. The lecture will also examine the historical perspective of climate change at
global, regional and local scale; impacts of climate change and disasters across
sectors; adaptation and mitigation measures of climate change including community
based adaptation approaches; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
global climate change negotiations- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC), Kyoto protocol; climate change policy and justice; Sustainable
Development Goals, and climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction;
disaster management and development issues which includes the linkages between
disaster and development, impact of disasters on development, cross-cutting
relationship between development, planning and disasters, populations displacement
and migration, mainstreaming gender into development policies and programs.
POP 603: Population and Environment:
The objective of the course
is to improve understanding of students on the linkages between population size,
growth and environment and awareness on national and international instruments on
environment. The lecture will cover the following topics:(1) pathways (a)
sub-division, (b) depletion and (c) degradation of renewable resources, through
which population size and growth affects environment, (ii) trends in population size
and rate of growth on the one hand and availability of agricultural land, land use,
food security, clean water, forest, bio-diversity and urban environmental problems
(sanitation, solid waste, water and air pollution, energy consumption, emissions and
urban health) on the other in Bangladesh. The lecture will also examine linkages
between population, migration and the rural environment and relationship between
health, mortality, environment and gender, and review national and international
instruments on population and environment. Gender dimension of these issues will be
considered.
POP 613: Epidemiology and Biostatistics:
The course intends to
give a comprehensive idea and knowledge of epidemiology and biostatistics. It will
explains their concepts, scopes and uses for the prevention and control of public
health problems with general concepts of disease transmission, prevention and
control measures, tools for measurement of health problems and methods and use of
epidemiological studies with special emphasis to Bangladesh country context. There
will be improved understanding among students of epidemiological methods and
enhanced skills on biostatistics to deal with public health problems through
formulation of health sector policies, programs and services, with application of
epidemiological methods and tools as necessary. The course will cover the following
topics: basic concepts of epidemiology, epidemiological study designs, definition
and measurements of health and disease, concept of causation of diseases,
transmission of infections, prevention and control procedures, ecological triad,
basic concepts of biostatistics; concepts of rate, ratio, proportion; measurement of
morbidity, mortality and risk; i.e. crude death rate, cause specific death rate,
Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Incidence and
Prevalence.
