PHFN 610 Principles of Environmental Health & Disaster Management (4 Credits)

About the Course

A study of environmental factors and how they interact with agent and host factors in the causation, prevention, and control of disease in human populations and appropriate technologies for intervention. Focus is on water supply, sanitation, industrial and solid waste management, vector control, and atmospheric pollution control. The course also includes a review of the types and public health consequences of natural and manmade disasters, principles of emergency planning, including evacuation procedures, management of disaster casualties, control of disease outbreaks, and meeting the physical and psychological needs of disaster victims. Steps in disaster response and recovery and coordination of emergency relief operations are also reviewed.

Who Needs This Course?

• Graduate students:
  • MPH – Nut
• This course may also be taken by
  • Health professionals for continuing education
  • Health professionals as a non-degree course for professional development
  • Graduate students of other schools as transfer credit

Time Investment

Each student is expected to spend at least an additional two hours per day reading, studying, and completing assignments. Another four hours will be spent on fieldwork.

Course Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship and inter-relationship between environmental, socioeconomic, and political factors and human health.
2. Propose practical solutions to existing environmental health problems in communities and actively participate in the process of solving the problems.
3. Identify the health effects of urbanization and industrial production and hazards associated with common energy sources, and discuss potential alternative energy sources.
4. Identify key environmental health hazards associated with housing and urban residence and possible measures to ameliorate these effects.
5. Discuss global health measures that can be taken to address environmental health problems.
6. Plan and implement a disaster management program.

Required Textbooks

Sampson, N., Tallon, L., & Dejarnett, N. (2025). Environmental health: foundations of public health. Denver: Springer Publishing Company, LLC. (e-book available in Leslie Hardinge Library)

Friis, R. (2019). Essentials of environmental health (3rd ed.). Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning. (e-book available)

Frumkin, Howard (editor). Environmental health from global to local. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, a Wiley brand. (e-book available)

Yassi, A. et al. (2001). Basic environmental health. Geneva: WHO.

Topics to Cover

Unit 1:  Introduction to Environmental Health, and Nature of Environmental Health Hazards

Unit 2:  Risk Assessment and Management

Unit 3:  Air Pollution: Indoor and Outdoor and Industrial Pollution and Chemical Safety

Unit 4:  Water and Sanitation

Unit 5:  Food and Agriculture

Unit 6:  Settlement and Urbanization

Unit 7:  Health and Energy Use

Unit 8: Transboundary & Global Health Concerns and Action to Protect Health and Environment

Unit 9:  Disaster Management