Applications for 2008 MPH Program are being accepted until December 15th
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Epidemiology, Statistics and Computing
Epidemiology, Statistics and Computing
II. INTENSIVE COURSE IN EPIDEMIOLGY, STATISTICS AND APPLIED
COMPUTING
1. Objectives
At the end of the training, the graduate health professional will
able to:
- Use the methodological tools in epidemiology and in statistics
- Use the computer for its applications in the field of epidemiology and statistics.
- Use these methods, knowledge and competence in analyzing health problems.
2. Entry Profile
This intensive course is intended for:
- Specialist medical doctors in CHUs
- Public health executives
- Medical doctors and health professionals orientated towards community approaches and evaluation of sanitary actions.
- Research in biomedical sector
3. General Organization
The intensive course in epidemiology, statistics and applied
computing is given at the SPH of the National University of Rwanda.
Duration of the training is 180 hours stretching over 6 consecutive
weeks (that is 40 days), taught from 14H00 to 19H00.
The modules are taught by visiting lecturers from the School of
Public Health of the Free University of Brussels in Belgium, in
collaboration with local lecturers of the SPH. They are taught in
French, but transparencies are in English to allow English speaking
participants to be comfortable with the courses.
4. Course program
The program is taught from the second week of January to the third
week of February every year (see table 3).
It is comprised of five modules:
Applied computing (30h)
Trainers: Dr LYAMBABAJE Alexandre, Mr BIZIMANA Jean de Dieu
Chapters covered:
- Computer and its components
- Operating systems & Softwares
- Networks and Introduction to the Internet Technology & Computer Security.
- Introduction to computing for data analysis and research in health sciences.
- Initiation to and practice on the EPI-INFO/EPI DATA software.
Data collection and research methodology
(30h)
Trainers: Prof. LAGASSE Raphael (Free University of Brussels, Dr
MUSANGO Laurent (National University of Rwanda).
Chapters covered:
- Definition of the objectives of data collection
- Types of data, sources of information
- Health information and routine data
- Survey by questionnaire, planning of survey
- Methods of survey and research methodology
- Validity of data, observation and sampling errors.
- Exercises: Elaboration of a research protocol and survey questionnaire.
Statistical methods (30h)
Chapters covered:
- Descriptive statistics
- Theoretical unidimensional distributions
- Estimation and trust interval
- Hypothesis tests
- Analysis of contingency tables
- Correlation and regression
- Variance analysis
- Introduction to multivaried analysis
Epidemiological methods (60h)
Chapters covered:
- Descriptive epidemiology: characteristics of place, time, persons, incidence, prevalence, mortality rate, standardization.
- Explanatory epidemiology : statistical association and causality :
- Notion of risk, Factors of risk, Quantifying risk.
- Case/Witness studies.
- Cohort studies
- Experimental studies
- Strategies in Epidemiology
- Analysis of bias, of contradicting variables and of interaction between variables.
- Multi-factorial approach in Epidemiology.
Synthesis exercises
Chapter covered:
- Manipulation of an epidemiological data base
- Verifying a data file
- Formulating research hypotheses.
- Bi-varied analysis of file data.
- Analysis of interaction between data.
- Taking into account confusion factors
Table: Timetable for the program of intensive courses in
epidemiology, statistics and applied computing.
| Module | Week | |||||
| S2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | S6 | S7 | |
| Applied computing | ||||||
| Statistical Methods | ||||||
| Data collection and Research Methodology | ||||||
| Epidemiological Methods | ||||||
| Integrated Exercises |