| Title: |
Sustainable Approaches to Infectious Disease Control and Elimination |
| Keywords: |
Communicable diseases
Disease prevention, control and elimination
Neglected diseases
One Health
|
| Country: |
Belgium
|
| Institution: |
Belgium - Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine
|
| Date start: |
2026-04-27 |
| Date end: |
2026-05-15 |
| About duration and dates: |
Application deadline: 01/11/2025 Number of weeks: 3 weeks |
| Classification: |
advanced optional
|
| Mode of delivery: |
Face to face
|
Course location:
Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium;
TropEd representative: Bruno Broucker (bbroucker@itg.be);
Website: www.itg.be |
|
| ECTS credit points: |
5 ECTS credits
|
SIT:
Contact hours: 73h
Self Study: 60h
Total SIT: 133 hours |
|
| Language: |
English
|
Description:
Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:
• Describe the main drivers and determinants and current control and elimination strategies for these major infectious diseases (malaria, TB, HIV, selection of NTDs)
• Assess the gaps, complexities and challenges in current infectious disease control and elimination strategies from a sustainable angle
•
• Critically appraise the evidence on sustainable solutions to tackle infectious diseases, and translate knowledge into evidence-informed strategies
• Develop sustainable context-specific strategies for the control and elimination of infectious diseases
• Describe the importance and key concepts of systems thinking in combatting infectious diseases
• Discuss sustainable solutions in infectious disease control and elimination efforts |
|
Assessment Procedures:
Assessment is based on a written group assignment, followed by an individual oral assessment.
Students will work in groups on a particular infectious disease in a given context, write a critical review on current control/elimination strategies, and propose alternative approaches focusing on sustainability. The written group assignment will have as an end-product a group-report addressing the main concepts discussed during the course.
The group assignment will be followed by an individual oral assessment, which is an exchange between each student and a staff panel.
Students will get a group mark for the group-report (40%) and an individual mark for the individual oral assessment (60%).
Assessment criteria for evaluation of the written group assignment (group-report):
75% on content (15% context, 30% critical review on current control/elimination strategies, and 30% sustainable approaches), 15% lay-out, and 10% writing quality
Assessment criteria for evaluation of the individual oral assessment: 80% content, 20% discussion skills
Resit Policy: In case of failing the assessment, the student will be allowed to once re-submit an individual written assignment/oral exchange (within two months) based on not reaching the pass mark. It is possible to have the resit online. Marking is on /20. 10/20 is the pass mark
Details on assignment instructions and evaluation criteria are presented in the pdf in Annex 1 |
|
Content:
This short course provides an overview of current control and elimination strategies for major infectious diseases. Successes and failures, gaps and last remaining challenges are identified, . Sustainable approaches to infectious disease control and elimination are discussed, focusing on a range of factors that can influence sustainability, including contextual and environmental impacts. Alternative paradigms to current global strategies are also discussed . . The aim of the course is to strengthen the participant’s capacity to improve the impact of infectious disease control and elimination efforts through the development and implementation of sustainable strategies, based on scientific evidence and context-specific.
The focus is on major infectious diseases (malaria, TB, HIV, and a selection of NTDs such as trypanosomiasis and helminthiases) in resource-constrained settings, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.
1. Major infectious diseases: Main determinants and drivers will be covered, as well as current tools and strategies for control and elimination. Underlying processes and interactions influencing infection and transmission will be discussed, successes and failures of control and elimination strategies analysed, and gaps and challenges identified, at multiple levels, with focus on sustainability. Particular attention will be on cross-disease comparison and inter-disciplinary exchange.
2. Systemic approaches to infectious disease control and elimination: The complex nature of infectious diseases will be examined, and ways to address their control and elimination in a sustainable way. The concept of sustainability will be unpacked. Systems approaches (One Health, Ecohealth) and key concepts such as heterogeneity, inter disciplinarity, multisectoriality, equity, resilience and participation will be discussed and illustrated with examples. The importance of context-adapted strategies will be emphasized, considering the existing health system’s organization, and national and global actors involved including the intended populations and available resources. |
|
Methods:
Teaching and learning methods consist of interactive lectures, coached individual and group work, case studies, exercises, plenary presentations and discussions, and debates. Exchange of experience is essential in the learning process.
Some sessions will require preparatory reading or self-study.
Specific case studies are used to enhance learning. A debate is organised with another s hort course ‘Health system strengthening’, running at the same time, to have an in depth fishbowl discussion with representatives of the NTD control programmes, the health systems, and targeted communities on sustainable NTD control: is it feasible and are we (or how do we get) ready? .
33 hours of lectures, combined with in between 5 hours exercises, 11 hours where concepts and case studies are discussed, with 12 hours groupwork to prepare the assignment, but also to prepare in small groups the lectures, debates and/or exercises and 6 0 hours self- study. The last day is spent on the individual assessments (4 hours) and a wrap-up with a reflection on the course by students (2 hours). |
|
Prerequisites:
The course is for health professionals and researchers involved in infectious disease prevention, control and elimination from a programme, health system or any other perspective.
Academic degree
Applicants must be holder of a university degree of minimum 4 years equivalent to 240 ECTS (referred to as a Master’s degree in the European Union) in health sciences (medicine, pharmacy, nursing, midwifery), biomedical sciences or other health-related domains, such as medical sociology, medical anthropology or health economics.
Experience
Applicants need at least 2 years of practical experience in the domain of infectious disease elimination, control, prevention or any other related strategies/approaches (including health systems) addressing infectious diseases to be admitted to the course.
Language proficiency
The minimum language requirements are proof of a TOEFL iBT (internet-based test) score of 79-93, an IELTS score of 6.5 or other qualifying evidence of an English CEFR level of B2-C1 meaning a higher tier B2 or C1. A higher tier B2 will generally mean a B2 on all components of language proficiency and would have to be evidenced (ITM Toefl Code = 7727).
Native English speakers are exempt from these language requirements. Applicants whose first language is not English are exempt if they have successfully completed a higher education programme of at least 60 ECTS credits taught in English or have a higher education diploma from a Flemish Community higher education institution. |
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Attendance:
Min 12 students; Max 20 students (no limit on tropEd students) |
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Selection:
• Relevance of prior degrees, additional training and professional/research experience
• Professional motivation (letter): interest in sustainable disease control & elimination and expected future contributions
• Potential professional, institutional or social impact of the course (fit with career perspective) |
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Fees:
Non-EEA student : €1900
EEA-student and TropEd Msc students with a residence card in an EEA country: € 730 |
|
Scholarships:
Limited number of fellowships to applicants from developing countries are available, priority given to Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD) partner countries
(https://www.itg.be/en/study/scholarships-to-study-at-itm).
Academic acceptance in the course is conditional to, but no guarantee for such scholarships. More information can be found on the ITM website
(https://www.itg.be/en/study/courses/design-and-evaluation-of-health-programmes/2025-2026?tab=practical-information) |
|
tropEd accreditation:
Accredited in EC Telco in September 2025. This accreditation is valid until September 2030 |
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| Email Address: |
kpolman@itg.be |
| Date Of Record Creation: |
2025-09-26 10:42:53 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Of Record Release: |
2025-09-26 10:52:10 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Record Checked: |
2025-09-26 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Last Modified: |
2025-09-26 10:52:10 (W3C-DTF) |
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