Question 1 – Non-Communicable Diseases (6 marks)
Word Limit: 850 Max word limit)
“Of all the major health threats to emerge since the start of this century, none has challenged the very foundations of public health so profoundly as the rise of chronic non-communicable diseases. The prevalence of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases,
once considered the close companions of affluent societies, is now global, with the heaviest burden concentrated in low- and middle-income countries.”
– WHO, Ten years in public health 2007 – 2017
Of the chronic diseases mentioned in the above passage taken from WHO’s report on ‘Ten years in public health 2007 – 2017’, choose TWO chronic diseases (disease A and disease B) and prepare the following responses:
1. List the SDG targets and indicators for your chosen diseases (Only give numbers for targets and indicators) (150 words)
2. Visit https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare/ (Links to an external site.) and prepare the following visualizations comparing the two diseases:
i. DALYs Map for the year 2000, for both sexes, all ages for your chosen disease A compared with your chosen disease B. Briefly write your interpretation (150 words) ii. DALYs Map for the year 2019, for both sexes, all ages for your chosen disease A compared with your selected disease B. Briefly write your interpretation (150 words)
3. Compare the maps (showing global trends as a world map) for the years 2000 and 2019 (150 words)
4. Select ONE country from the graph and write your brief interpretation, commenting on change seen over time (250 words)
Question 2 – Communicable Diseases (10 marks)
Word Limit: 800 Max word limit
Tip: Work smartly! Check the marks allocated for each question, and then decide how much information you want to write for each response.
The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an ongoing Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), with the virus touching every continent. However, there have been several outbreaks/epidemics/ pandemics prior to COVID-19, which have affected different countries or regions. For this question, choose an outbreak/ epidemic/ pandemic (except for COVID-19) and answer the following questions:
1. Characterize the main clinical features of your chosen outbreak/ epidemic/ pandemic
2. Briefly describe the regional and global impact of your chosen outbreak/ epidemic/ pandemic
3. Discuss and critique public health control measures implemented to deal with your chosen outbreak/ epidemic/ pandemic (you can choose one location to discuss public health measures)
Question 3 – Comparative Health Systems and Ethics (14 Marks)
Word Limit: 1000 Max word limit
Tip: Work smartly! Check the marks allocated for each question, and then decide how much information you want to write for each response.
Since its emergence in late 2019, COVID -109 pandemic has impacted approximately 209 countries and territories around the world, with every government implementing its own pandemic responses. Now almost all countries have their own immunization schedules.
However, COVID responses, mandatory vaccinations and lockdown have raised several ethical concerns in different regions.
For this question, choose TWO countries and ONE ethical issue related to COVID 19 and answer the following:
1. What are the ethical concerns/ challenges associated with your chosen issue in your selected countries? briefly justify your selection
2. Briefly describe your chosen health care systems from two different countries. Outline the advantages and disadvantages of each system
3. Summarize their different to-date public health responses to COVID-19 and comment on the resources (e.g. health workforce, finances, the capacity of the health care system etc.) available for the response and their impact on the overall COVID response
4. Discuss if your chosen countries addressing the ethical concerns related to COVID 19 responses?
Student-generated MCQ is a technique where students are instructed on how to construct quality MCQs and encouraged to reflect on learning objectives and develop questions to address the content. Evidence suggests that this technique increases metacognition among students, promotes active learning behaviour, enhances positive perceptions of assessments, and enhances student engagement.
Why and how does this happen? A well-constructed Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) tests the application of knowledge (context-rich) rather than just the recall of information (context-free). When we write questions (stem) and research options for each question, we get to understand the concept much better and in great detail.
Part A of your last assessment for this course introduces you to this ‘active learning’ technique intending to consolidate your learnings over this course further.
Marks distribution:
• Three marks each for 5 MCQs – A total of 15 marks
Description
Topics for MCQ task:
You have to prepare 5 MCQs (one from each) from the following list of topics:
1. Ethics & Public Health
2. Environmental Health
3. Communicable Diseases
4. Non-Communicable Diseases
5. Comparative Global Health Systems
Note: Each of your MCQs should be from a different topic, i.e. 5 MCQs – one from each topic.
However, you can add other concepts you have learned over the semester. For example, while preparing a question on environmental health, you can add social determinants of health as a concept related to environmental health. Or, when writing a question on Communicable diseases, you can add ‘ageing’ as a concept.
Structure of the MCQ:
Each MCQ should have the following structure (also see the attached guide to develop MCQ):
1. Stem to introduce the problem or concept to be tested
2. Leading question to introduces the central question for MCQ and leads to the options
3. Four to 5 Options / Answers in response to the leading question (with one correct answer). Don’t forget to mark the correct answer
4. Brief (250 words) explanation/justification for the correct answer
Important things to remember:
• The originality, quality and concept of the MCQ will be assessed based on the guidelines given.
• Each MCQ needs to be relevant and appropriate to the topic, clear and easy to understand.
• Formal and consistent referencing is required when you are preparing explanations for your
Supporting Materials (How to develop good academic MCQs ):
Students have been given some supporting material to help them better understand this task. This supporting material includes: 1. Guide – Writing Good MCQs (see attached)
Guide to writing good MCQs-1.pdf Download Guide to writing good MCQs-1.pdf 2. Some links to good resources on the internet:
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o Ten tips for writing great MCQs:
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o Guidelines for writing multiple-choice questions:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/LanguagesOnline/games/comprehension/docs/ multiple%20choice%20questions.pd
