University of Arizona · Zuckerman College of Public Health

Management of
Global Public Health
Emergencies

Preparedness. Detection. Response. Seven and a half weeks to learn how outbreaks are found, managed, and communicated — from IHR protocols to AI-driven epidemic intelligence.

3 Units
Online Format
7.5 Weeks
459/559 Dual-Track
!

Open to both undergraduate and graduate students. No prerequisites required — previous experience in public health and emergencies is an asset but not a requirement. Graduate students (HPS 559) complete additional analytic deliverables.

Learning Objectives

What you will be able to do

Nine capabilities — from mapping global health architecture to deploying AI for epidemic intelligence. Each one grounded in real operational frameworks.

OBJ — 01

Global Health Architecture

Map roles, authorities, and data flows across IHR (2005), the 2024 amendments, JEE/SPAR, GHSA, and GOARN for a concrete jurisdiction.

OBJ — 02

Outbreak Timeliness

Apply the 7-1-7 framework and outbreak timeliness metrics to compute detection, notification, and early-response intervals. Identify bottlenecks and propose fixes.

OBJ — 03

OSINT & Epidemic Intelligence

Run an end-to-end OSINT workflow — ingest, triage, verify — using platforms like EpiCore, EIOS, BEACON, HealthMap, and Global Flu View.

OBJ — 04

Multimodal Biosurveillance

Integrate multimodal data through a One Health lens into decision briefs that recommend proportionate actions and the next best data source.

OBJ — 05

RCCE & Infodemic Management

Design audience-specific message maps, maintain a rumor log, craft corrective messages, and track reach, comprehension, behavior uptake, and rumor-closure time.

OBJ — 06

AI/ML for Emergencies

Evaluate AI/ML opportunities and limits for public health emergencies — priority use cases, data needs, bias, privacy, and safety considerations.

OBJ — 07

One Health Risk Assessment

Apply a One Health perspective specifying cross-sector roles (human, animal, environment) and information-sharing mechanisms for joint operations.

OBJ — 08

Risk Mitigation Planning

Write a proportionate risk-mitigation plan for a hypothetical study or response activity, mapping risks to safeguards consistent with IHR.

OBJ — 09

Crisis Communication

Communicate clearly with incident leadership, clinicians, media, and community using concise briefs, visuals, and plain-language summaries.

Operational Timeline

7.5 weeks. Full cycle.

From global health architecture to your final emergency response plan — compressed, intensive, and built to mirror real operational tempo.

Week 01
Global Health Architecture
IHR, JEE, GHSA, GOARN, Tephinet, and the Public Health Intelligence landscape.
Project topic selection
Week 02
Frameworks for Emergency Management
Outbreak Timeliness Metrics, the 7-1-7 framework, and detect-notify-respond intervals.
Draft: Introduction
Week 03
Collaborative Surveillance & OSINT
Global.health, EpiCore, EIOS, BEACON, Global Flu View, Participatory Surveillance, HealthMap.
Quiz 1 Draft: Situation Analysis
Week 04
One Health & Public Health Emergencies
One Health Landscape Map, OHPS Data Parameters, cross-sector risk assessment.
Draft: Objectives
Week 05
Mass Gatherings & RCCE
Risk Communication and Community Engagement for mass gatherings and emergency contexts.
Quiz 2 Draft: Action Plan
Week 06
AI for Emergencies & New Global Risks
AI/ML methods for epidemic intelligence, biosecurity, biodefense, and emerging threats.
Quiz 3
Week 07–08
Policy Paper: Emergency Response Plan
Submit your comprehensive Public Health Emergency Response Plan for a hypothetical or actual public health emergency.
Final deliverable — 50%
Assessment

How you're evaluated

Three quizzes track your grasp of frameworks. The policy paper — your capstone — is where you prove you can build an emergency response plan.

Quiz 1 150 pts 15%
Quiz 2 175 pts 17.5%
Quiz 3 175 pts 17.5%
Policy Paper — Emergency Response Plan 500 pts 50%
Dual Track

Undergraduate & Graduate

Same core competencies. Graduate students go deeper — with analytic deliverables and an expanded policy paper scope.

HPS 459 — Undergraduate
  • Map global health security architecture for one jurisdiction
  • Calculate detect/notify/respond intervals using 7-1-7
  • Run an OSINT workflow end-to-end
  • Create a One Health decision brief
  • Design and execute an RCCE plan with metrics
  • Evaluate AI/ML for emergency use cases
  • Policy paper with 6 required sections
HPS 559 — Graduate
  • All undergraduate outcomes, plus:
  • Coordinate an ICS operational period and produce a complete Incident Action Plan
  • Build a reproducible analytic appendix — nowcast/Rt or OSINT triage dashboard
  • Develop a risk-mitigation dashboard mapped to IHR safeguards
  • Annotated bibliography (≥10 items) on AI/ML, OSINT, or biosurveillance governance
  • Policy paper with 7 required sections including resource mobilization
Your Instructor

Onicio Batista Leal Neto, PhD

Dr. Onicio Batista Leal Neto

Assistant Research Professor in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Arizona's Zuckerman College of Public Health. Leads the AI for Public Health Initiative and directs the Global Flu View participatory surveillance platform.

His work spans digital surveillance systems, proximity sensor networks in healthcare facilities, and AI-driven epidemic intelligence — the same tools and frameworks you will study in this course.

44+
Published Papers
11
Countries in GFV
22M+
Data Points
2nd
PH & AI Summer School

The next outbreak
won't wait.

HPS 459/559 opens for registration on UAccess. Online, intensive, and built for people who want to be ready when it matters.

Register on UAccess Contact Instructor