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PUBLIC HEALTH BIOLOGY

PUBLIC HEALTH BIOLOGY. Sharon S. Krag, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Kathy Miner, Emory Rollins School of Public Health. Why Public Health Biology?.

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PUBLIC HEALTH BIOLOGY

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  1. PUBLIC HEALTH BIOLOGY Sharon S. Krag, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Kathy Miner, Emory Rollins School of Public Health

  2. Why Public Health Biology? • Public Health Biology is important as a competency as an increasing number of our MPH applicants do not have biological backgrounds.

  3. We need to insure that our MPH students can integrate the “relevant biological processes that influence population-based health.”

  4. APPROACH • Group process started by collecting learning objectives and competencies from relevant courses from eight schools of public health. • Using conference calls and delphi processes, the group came up with a definition and ten over-arching competencies.

  5. Definition: • The ability to incorporate public health biology – the biological and molecular context of public health – into public health practice.

  6. Competencies: Upon graduation a student with an MPH should be able to… 1. Explain the role of biology in the ecological model of population-based health. 2. Integrate general biological and molecular concepts into public health. 3. Explain the biological and molecular basis of public health. 4. Articulate how biological, chemical and physical agents affect human health. 5. Apply biological principles to development and implementation of disease prevention, control, or management programs. 6. Describe how behavior alters human biology. 7. Specify the role of the immune system in population health. 8. Explain how genetics and genomics affect disease processes and public health policy and practice. 9. Identify the ethical, social and legal issues implied by public health biology. 10. Apply evidence-based biological and molecular concepts to inform public health laws, policies, and regulations.

  7. Our vision is that competence in Public Health Biology will be satisfied by many existing courses in the five core areas and having a course in Public Health Biology will not be necessary.

  8. The Deans then asked the Public Health Biology Workgroup for “additional illustrative examples” to help the community understand the competencies.

  9. We then went back to the candidate list of over 90 objectives/competencies and chose a few illustrations, i.e., “sub-competencies.”

  10. These sub-competencies are meant as illustrations -- not to be prescriptive to the Schools.

  11. As an example, Competency #4: Articulate how biological, chemical, and physical agents affect human health Sub-competency # c: Explain the adverse health effects and the mechanism of action of various types of inhaled particulate matter, heavy metals, solvents, radiation, cyanide, and pesticides.

  12. Why say pesticides? • Why not just say DDT?

  13. The Curious History DDT:A Public Health Story dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

  14. DDT: Beginnings • 1874: Othmar Ziedler synthesizes DDT, first of the chlorinated hydrocarbons • 1939: Paul Muller of Geigy discovered its insecticide capabilities • 1939-1945 DDT used as an insecticide for mosquito (malaria) and lice (typhus) • WHO estimates 25,000,000 lives saved • 1948: Muller awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine

  15. DDT: Early History • 1940-1950s widely used in US agriculture (675,000 tons) • 1950s Insects begin to develop resistance and appears toxic to fish • 1950-60s DDT cited for the decline in bald eagles • 1962 Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring states that DDT causes cancer and harms bird reproduction

  16. DDT: Middle History • 1950-60s DDT stored in the fat with a half-life of about 8 years—slow metabolism means build up over the years. • 1970s evidence that DDT accumulates in the food chain • 1973 EPA DDT bans in the US • 1978 DDT declines in Lake Michigan fish by 90%

  17. DDT Present • Present: DDT used in several countries for insect control. • Present: There are no substantial scientific studies which prove that DDT is more toxic than other pesticides.

  18. Public Health Questions • What is the balance of benefit versus risk? • How and by whom are these determined? • How to respond to social commentary regarding perceived risk? • What is the span of influence from the US policies to other countries?

  19. DDT

  20. Questions?

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