General Instructions

In this learning activity, you will be required to select a public health issue linked to one of the wars identified below. This learning activity requires you to apply everything you have learned from the previous modules.

Step 1: Select

Select one of the topics below regarding a public health outbreak and an identified war:

• Ukraine-Russia War & COVID-19 Outbreak
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ebola Outbreak

Step 2: Respond 

Prepare a 1000-1500 word commentary based on your selected topic. Using supporting data to back up your arguments, ensure that your response answers the following key questions: 

• Discuss the epidemiological and supporting facts that illustrate how the war has impacted the identified public health issue
• Discuss how the war has impacted the country’s economic, social, and health domains and how this has specifically impacted individuals’ access to health services. (i.e., access to clean water, food, sanitation, and the risk of contracting communicable diseases)
• Discuss what public health strategies could have been employed to help mitigate the health consequences of war
• Discuss how international bodies, such as the WHO, have responded to the public health emergency
• Discuss how humanitarian principles and human rights were/can be used to build peace and prevent further violence in identified conflict zones
• Discuss how humanitarian organizations can play a role in strengthening war emergency preparedness capabilities

Step 3: Share

To share your work, click the “Add a new discussion topic” button under this post and paste your work into the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).

Step 4: Interact 

To complete the activity, you will need to reply to at least two posts made by your peers in a respectful and professional manner. Be sure your post engages your peers' ideas by including a reflection on their comments, sharing ideas on other potential difficulties and parties involved, or asking thought-provoking questions. If a peer comments on your posting, please reply. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click “Post to forum.”