PHC 6009 HIV/AIDS Epidemiology and Control
GENERAL INFORMATION
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course reviews the epidemiology, virology, immunology, and clinical aspects of HIV/AIDS
and also examines its impact upon risk groups and the response of society to the epidemic.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Appraise basic virology, immunologic, and clinical aspects of HIV and AIDS.
Describe the history of the HIV pandemic.
Describe the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS in developed and developing countries.
Recognize levels of risk associated with each mode of HIV transmission.
Recognize surveillance methods for HIV/AIDS used in US and other countries.
Discuss ethical issues related to HIV screening and surveillance
Interpret and use appropriate sources of HIV/AIDS epidemiologic data.
Describe HIV prevention methods.
Describe the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS in a country.
MPH CORE AND CONCENTRATION-SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES
MPH Core and/or Concentration-Specific Competencies
This course will assist students in developing the following MPH core and concentrationspecific competencies:
Core Competencies
 Use epidemiologic measures to describe public health
conditions in a population in terms of magnitude, person,
place, and time
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Use information technology to interpret and communicate
public health data to lay and professional audiences
Concentration-specific competencies
 Identify key sources of data for use in epidemiologic studies
Course Objective #
2, 3, 9
7, 9
Course Objective #
7
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Given a particular health problem, determine the potential
benefits and limitations of a screening program
6
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Critically evaluate reports of epidemiologic studies
7, 9
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Evaluate a surveillance system observing ethical and legal
principles pertaining to the collection, use and dissemination
of data
5, 6
TEXTBOOK
AIDS Science and Society,
Fan HY, Conner RF, Villarreal LP,
Boston, MS: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2011, 6th Edition
ISBN: 978-0-7637-7315-1
This text is only one of your readings. It is expected that you read all
of your assigned readings. You will find that the content of the journal
articles is as important as the text.
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
This course will use Powerpoint lectures and readings to assist students in meeting the
learning objectives. Students are expected to critically read all assigned articles and discuss
them in the discussion forum or by e-mail.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE INSTRUCTOR
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E-mail: Contact me via my Blackboard messages only. E-mails should be sent prior to
my E-Office hours each week. Your inquiries will be answered during my E-Office
hours. Any E-mail sent to me should have in the subject line PHC 6009 and a short title
such as "Lecture 3 on Clinical Manifestations." All E-mails about course content should
be e-mailed to the instructor as well as sent "cc" to the whole class because others in
the course may have the same question as yours. The E-mail list of your classmates
can be accessed through the course mail feature in Blackboard. Instructor answers to
all course-related questions will be sent to everyone enrolled in the course. E-mail
communications concerning the course content, and materials should be saved by each
student to avoid duplicate queries. E-mails concerning personal issues may be sent
privately to the instructor only. Messages will only be sent to your course mail. It is
your responsibility to check your course mail regularly.
Discussion Forum: It will be used for class discussions and other postings of general
interest that are directly related to the course. Everyone can read discussion forum
postings; therefore, do not post private information. Announcements may be made on
the discussion forum or via e-mail. You should read the discussion forum/e-mail before
beginning lectures each week.
Chat sessions: They will be scheduled periodically throughout the semester.
Be considerate and friendly on-line. Make your entries short and to the point. Devise a
systematic method for saving and organizing the material for later review. If you are not sure
about the instructor's expectations, please ask.
GRADING
Course Requirements
Weights
Epidemiology paper and abstract
30%
Group project
20%
Exam #1
15%
Exam #2
15%
Exam #3
15%
Participation
5%
Total
Letter
Range
100%
Letter
Range
Letter
Range
Grade
Grade
Grade
A
above 92.6
B-
79.6 - 82.5
D+
66.6 - 69.5
A-
89.6 - 92.5
C+
76.6 - 79.5
D
62.6 - 66.5
B+
86.6 - 89.5
C
72.6 - 76.5
D-
59.6 - 62.5
B
82.6 - 86.5
C-
69.6 - 72.5
F
59.5 - 0
FIU LIBRARY SUPPORT
The FIU library provides a number of services to distance learning students. For example:
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Students can request a chat session in Blackboard for an explanation on how to access
library resources.
Students can request detailed instructions on how to access library resources.
One-on-One assistance from the Distance Learning Librarian.
Don't struggle through your library research alone! Help is available. For further information,
contact Sarah Hammill, Distance Learning Librarian, via email at hammills@fiu.edu or call 305919-5604.
You will need a “library card” to order interlibrary loan materials. Here is a link explaining what
you need to do:
http://library.fiu.edu/Home/LibraryResourcesforOnlineStudents/tabid/239/Default.aspx.
Take care of this the first week of class! If you have any problems, contact Sarah Hammill.
You can visit the FIU Library at: http://library.fiu.edu/
COURSE PAPER
You will write a 7 to 8 page, double-spaced paper about the epidemiology and control of
HIV/AIDS in a specific country of your choice. Do not choose the United States. You may
organize the paper however you choose, but I would like you to include the following topics:
I.
II.
III.
Background of your country (geographic size, population size, developing vs.
developed, stability, HIV situation in relevant neighboring countries)
Background of the outbreak (When first cases recognized, trends to date)
Methods of surveillance used in country (what types of surveillance are conducted and
for each where they are conducted [e.g. rural vs. urban], what types of populations [e.g.
pregnant women, commercial sex workers, military], assess if methods appropriate
given the type of outbreak).
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in country
A. Burden of HIV/AIDS (numbers of cases, prevalence rates, estimated incidence,
mortality rate, effect on society). Compare with other countries in region.
B. Demographics of HIV/AIDS (prevalence and mortality rates by sex, age,
race/ethnicity, rural/urban)
C.
Predominant risk factors (discuss predominant modes of transmission)
Implemented preventive measures (current and historical)
Barriers faced by country in HIV/AIDS control
Your assessment of effectiveness of country’s efforts to control outbreak
Not included in the page limit will be a 400 word abstract that you will write summarizing what
you found about your country/topic. This abstract will be posted on Blackboard so all students
can benefit from what you learned.
Any tables or figures are also not included in the page limit. You must have at least three
tables/figures. Create your own tables and figures as much as possible. Only cut and paste
preexisting figures if you do not have access to the original data or if the figures are
complicated (e.g. map). You must clearly state if a figure was created by someone else and
state the author. If you are using data from a source but have created your own figure/table,
you indicate the source of the data (e.g. "Source of data:..."). All tables and figures should be
able to stand alone with a complete title including year, place and what the table/figure refers
to. All axis and column headings should be labeled. Each table/figure should be numbered
and referred by number in the text. You should discuss the important findings of each
table/figure in the text.
I expect you to have at least three sources that are from peer-reviewed journals. If there is
little on your specific country, you are likely to find some that address the region your country is
in. You should reference all data appropriately. References should be in APA format.
All your writing should be your own. No cutting and pasting of text from any source is allowed.
That constitutes plagiarism. For those students that need help with proper citation of sources,
please see the following: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/. Papers will be submitted to
turnitin.com to check for plagiarism. You will be able to see the results of the turnitin report. I
will accept no papers showing more than 30% duplication (after excluding the references).
Therefore, I recommend you turn your paper into turnitin.com at least a week prior to the due
date so you have time to improve your paraphrasing if necessary.
Your term paper topic is due on xxx. Each country/topic can only be chosen by one student. It
will be given to the first student that chooses it. E-mail the course instructor by course E-mail
your topic as soon as you choose it and cc the class. Your term paper is due on xxx(again
your term paper must have a turnitin score of less than 30% for me to accept it. If it does not, it
will be considered late). Ten points will be deducted per day for each day the paper is late
(e.g. If you paper grade is 90 points out of 100, you will receive only 80 points out of 100 if the
paper is 1 day late). Consult the term paper evaluation form (in a file in the course content
section) to see how your paper will be evaluated.
Here are some helpful Internet resources:
http://www.cdc.gov (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov (National Library of Medicine’s on-line databases
including Medline)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs (National Center for Health Statistics)
http://www.doh.state.fl.us (Florida Department of Health)
http://www.who.int (World Health Organization home page)
http://www.dadehealth.org (Miami-Dade County Health Department)
http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu (HIV Knowledge Base, individual country data in
epidemiology section)
http://www.measuredhs.com/start.cfm (HIV data for multiple countries)
Also see pages 229-230 of Fan text for additional resources.
GROUP PROJECT
You will be divided into 4-6 person groups based on the geographic region of the country you
chose for your term paper (e.g. Latin American region, African region, etc). Your group’s task
will be to create a 12-15 slide Powerpoint presentation comparing and contrasting the type of
HIV epidemic that each of the countries have including the groups that are affected (e.g.
generalized population, injection drug users, etc), the severity of the epidemic (e.g. compare
prevalence and incidence data), the types and quality of the surveillance systems used by the
countries, the barriers to prevention faced in each of the countries, and the countries’
responses to the epidemic. Which of the countries has been hardest hit by the epidemic?
Why? Which country was most proactive in responding to the epidemic? What can you
conclude from your analysis about effective responses? What should countries not do? This
project will require that each group member read the term papers of all the other group
members. Communicate with your group members by the discussion board. A discussion
board will be set up for each group. Your group’s Powerpoint presentation will be shared with
the entire class for discussion. Your grade will include a group grade which will make up 50%
of the project’s grade. It will be based on the quality of the Powerpoint presentation with
regard to content and form (e.g. no typos, well organized). Thirty percent of your project grade
will be your participation. Each one of you will fill out a participation evaluation for each of the
other members of the group. Your participation grade will be based on the evaluations that are
submitted from your group members. The evaluation questions are listed in the evaluation file.
The Powerpoint presentation is due on xxx. Your evaluation of fellow group members is also
due on xxxx. Ten points will be deducted per day that the presentation and evaluations are late
as described above under the term paper. Your presentation will also be evaluated by all other
class members using a form. You must complete this form for each of the other group
presentations by xxxx. The final 20% of your grade is based on the timely completion and
completeness (ratings and written comments) of the evaluations of the other group
presentations.
EXAMS
There are three exams. All will be primarily multiple-choice exams with some matching and
true/false questions. The content of each is stated in the course calendar. The exams will
assess how well students have met the course objectives, and questions will be written around
the course objectives and the objectives for each lecture. There may be some applied
questions where you'll need to demonstrate your ability to apply knowledge you have gained in
this course.
The exams are open book, but they will be timed. All exams must be completed within the
allotted timeframe. Unless a person has a doctor's note documenting illness during the
timeframe of the exam, a person will lose 10% of their grade per day that they complete the
exam late (e.g. exam closes on xxx. If completed on xxx, the highest grade a person could get
is 90 points out of a hundred. If completed on xxx, 80 points out of a hundred, etc.).
READINGS, LECTURES, & PARTICIPATION
Each lecture is accompanied by readings and questions or a Powerpoint presentation. You
will not be turning in the answers to study questions. You will need to complete these
questions though to be successful in the exams. Students are encouraged to discuss these
questions on the discussion board or in the chat sessions.
Interacting with other students and the course instructor by e-mail, chat and the discussion
forum is an important component of this course. Your participation grade will be assessed
based on the extent to which you contribute thoughtful, critical commentary about the readings
and about other student’s comments by means of e-mail and discussion forum throughout the
course. Because of different time zones and work schedules, students are not required to
participate in chat discussions, and participation with chat will not be graded. However, in the
past many students have found chat discussions to be a good mechanism to help understand
the more difficult concepts in the course. The scripts from each chat session will be posted.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
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Be prepared (e.g. complete readings) and participate fully in discussion board and chat
room.
Concentrate on main ideas as opposed to specific statistics.
Organize study time around course objectives and objectives for each week.
Read all readings thoroughly and critically.
Test yourself using the review questions on the books website:
http://bioscience.jbpub.com/AIDS.
Try explaining the main ideas of each class to your classmates, friends, or family. If you
can communicate the ideas to them, you have grasped the material.
DISABILITY NOTICE
If you have a disability and need assistance, please contact the Disability Resource Center
(University Park: GC190; 305-348-3532) (North Campus: WUC139, 305-919-5345). Upon
contact, the Disability Resource Center will review your request and contact your professors or
other personnel to make arrangements for appropriate modification and/or assistance.
RELIGIOUS HOLY DAYS
The University's policy on religious holy days as stated in the University Catalog and Student
Handbook will be followed in this class. Any student may request to be excused from (on-line)
class to observe a religious holy day of his or her faith.
RULES, POLICIES, AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
Assignments from the text and other resources are listed below for each class session.
Students are expected to pace their learning according to the posted course assignments.
It is expected that interactive learning and teaching will enrich the learning experience of all
students, and that each student will work in partnership with the professor to create a positive
learning experience for all. Student engagement is a necessary condition for an effective
learning experience, and includes contributions to debate and discussion, positive interactive
learning with others, and an enthusiastic attitude towards inquiry. Everyone is expected to be
a positive contributor to the class learning community, and students are expected to share the
responsibility of teaching each other.
It is imperative that each student reads and understands the Academic Honesty policies
covered in class and described at: Academic Policy.
Statement of Understanding between Professor and Student
Every student must respect the right of everyone to have an equitable opportunity to learn and
honestly demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students must adhere to a
standard of academic conduct, demonstrating respect for themselves, their fellow classmates,
and the educational mission of the University. As a student at FIU taking this class:
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I will not represent someone else’s work as my own.
I will not cheat, nor will I aid in another’s cheating.
I will be honest in my academic endeavors.
I understand that if I am found responsible for academic misconduct, I will be subject to
the academic misconduct procedures and sanctions as outlined in the Student
Handbook.
Failure to adhere to the guidelines stated above may result in one of the following:
Expulsion: Permanent separation of the student from the University, preventing readmission
to the institution. This sanction shall be recorded on the student's transcript.
Suspension: Temporary separation of the student from the University for a specific period of
time.
By taking this online course, I promise to adhere to FIU’s Student Code of Academic Integrity.
For details on the policy and procedures go to ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT (Section 2.44)
NOTE: Intensive auditing of the course will be conducted to prevent academic misconduct.
EXPECTATION OF THIS COURSE
This is a fully online course, meaning that all course work (100%) will be conducted online.
Expectations for performance in fully online courses are the same as for traditional courses; in
fact, fully online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology
skills that can make them more demanding for some students.
Fully online courses are not independent study courses. You will be expected to interact
online with the professor and your fellow students; to do assignments; to meet deadlines; and
in many classes, to work in virtual groups. In some fully online courses, you may be required
to come to campus to take midterms and exams, but in most, you will take your tests online.
Tips for Success in your online course, click here.
Online Etiquette, click here.
ONLINE LEARNING TUTORIAL
Please note that we offer our Online Learning Tutorial via the web and/or CD-ROM. If you are
unable to attend one of our on-campus orientations or just need help with an online tool click
here.
If you are on a slow connection, we recommend that you order the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM will
be delivered to you free of charge in 3 - 5 business days.
COURSE CALENDAR
Week
Due
date
Topic
Introduction to Course and History of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic
Week
1
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Review and fully familiarize yourself with the course and site.
Print and read the course syllabus and course calendar.
Obtain library access (see library section above).
Read Powerpoint presentation and readings
Create a student homepage with a picture (optional) introducing
yourself to the class (
Do syllabus comprehension practice quiz (ungraded to help you get
used to on-line tests and make sure you understand some of the
important points on the syllabus)
Immune System, Virology
Week
2
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Read Powerpoint presentations and readings
Clinical Manifestations of AIDS
Week
3
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Read Powerpoint presentation and readings
Submit topic for term paper by.
Modes of Transmission and Prevention- Sexual And Injection
Drug Use
Week
4
Week
5
Week
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Read Powerpoint presentation and readings
Complete study questions
CHAT 12
Exam #1-available beginning, must be completed
Modes of Transmission and Prevention- Perinatal, Breastfeeding,
6
and Others
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Read readings
Complete study questions
HIV Testing and Prevention Counseling
Week
7
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Read readings
Complete study questions
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Systems and Epidemiologic Methods
Week
8
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Read readings
Complete study questions
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Systems and Epidemiologic Methods
(Continued)
Week
9
Week
10
Week
11
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Read readings
Complete study questions
CHAT 12
Spring Break
Exam #2-available beginning, must be completed by. Term
paper and abstract due by (Must have Turnitin score of less
than 30%).
Epidemiology and Control of HIV in US
Week
12
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Read readings
Complete study questions
Epidemiology and Control of HIV in Africa
Week
13
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Read readings
Complete study questions
Post group Powerpoint presentation by.
Epidemiology and Control of HIV in Eastern Europe and Asia
Week
14
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Read readings
Complete study questions
Complete evaluations of fellow group members by
Epidemiology and Control of HIV in Latin America and Caribbean
and Where Do We Go From Here?
Week
15
Week
16
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Read readings
Complete study questions
Submit evaluations for each group presentation CHAT 12
Exam #3-Available beginning. Must be completed