Syllabus
Building upon the lessons below, learners will also critique assigned articles, participate in discussion boards, compose a comprehensive essay on the subject “How shall my nation better prepare against pandemic threats?” and participate in a comprehensive emergency pandemic control simulation.
Week 1: The Power of Seven and Lessons from the Bush
Lessons learned from Spanish flu, AIDS, Ebola, SARS, and Zika
Dangers posed by fear, denial, complacency, and self-interest
Week 2: Lessons from the Barn and The Triple Threat
Threats posed by the global animal food industry
Perennial influenza and mad cow: the first man-made epidemic
Bioterrorism, bio-error, and unethical science
Week 3: The Costs of Complacency
Ricochet effect: scattered risks and amplified costs
Aversion behavior and epidemic cascade
The hit to education
Week 4: Lead Like the House Is on Fire
DA Henderson and the end of smallpox
Pivotal leadership against AIDS, SARS, and Ebola
Week 5: Resilient Systems and Global Security
Nigeria’s response to Ebola
Ethiopia’s fight against aids
Governmental, NGO, and faith-based health leadership
Week 6: Active Prevention and Constant Readiness
Preventing mosquito-borne diseases
Vaccines: our most powerful protection
Early detection, rapid response, and protecting primary healthcare
Week 7: Fatal Fictions and Timely Truths
The psychology of fear and distrust
The leadership-during-crisis tight rope
How mainstream media can help
Analysis and response to vaccine skepticism
Week 8: Disruptive Innovation and Collaborative Transformation
The proud history of innovation
Vaccines, mosquito control, rapid tests, early warning systems
Collaboration for critical innovations
Week 9: Invest Wisely and Save Lives
How “recency bias” trips us up
The political case for action
The business case for investments
Week 10: Ring the Alarm and Rouse the Leaders
Fighting ignorance at the top
AIDS denialism and the battle for HIV treatment
From local campaigns to a global movement to end epidemics
