Public Health Informatics
TOPIC:
Public Health Informatics written assignment Task – 2000 words
Imagine that you are a public health informatician. You have been asked to produce a report for the government of your chosen country, describing one of the following public health problems or threats, and proposing informatics-informed approaches for monitoring or managing it.
· HIV in sex workers in Guyana (South America);
The report should –
· Outline the problem and any existing statistics describing it
· Consider what traditional government or institutional data sources could help to shed light on its prevalence or patterns
· Explain (where appropriate) why these might not be sufficient and suggest non-traditional information sources and methods of data capture that might be useful
· Suggest how this information could be analysed and visualised to support public health intelligence, or to inform interventions and services
· Consider data challenges such as accessibility, quality, and governance/ethics
INSTRUCTIONS:
There are three core criteria by which the essay will be assessed:
· Knowledge and understanding of concepts: Do you use concepts that were introduced in the course correctly*? Do you use relevant concepts?
· Knowledge and use of the literature: Are you using relevant key literature (books, papers, etc.) Are you using relevant literature that you have found yourself? How well integrated is the literature in your assignment?
· Constructing academic discourse: Do you present a coherent argument? Does your paper have a clear aim and a clear structure? How well are your conclusions motivated from the evidence that you have assembled? Do you discuss problems and limitations of the evidence that you have found?
Assignments should not exceed a total of 2,000 words and may, where appropriate, include drawings or diagrams, which will not be included in the word count. References (10 to 15) should be cited in an appropriate manner using a conventional and consistent citing method (Harvard referencing style must be used). Submitted papers are acceptable in single spacing, but double spacing is preferred.
Country Background & Program Context
Guyana’s most recent Biological Behavioural Surveillance Survey (BBSS) described HIV risk profiles and vulnerabilities for KPs; hot spots for transmission; and estimated size of key subpopulations. Key findings of the BBSS 2014 include:
• 34% of female sex workers (FSW) and 28% of male sex workers (MSW) were found in Region 4; 22% FSW and 33% MSW were found in Region 6
• 44% of FSW and 48% MSW have comprehensive HIV knowledge
• Information on the risks of anal sex has not reached the right people. Condom use and anal sex needs renewed focus
• 52% of FSW and 35% MSW felt that their risk of becoming infected was high
• 54% FSW reported finding clients in discos, 49% reported finding clients in hotels, 47% reported finding clients on the street and 21% reported finding clients in brothels
• 40% FSW and 39% MSW reported consistent condom use with regular partner while 68% FSW and 52% MSW reported the same with clients and consistent condom use by FSW with clients declined by 12% between 2009 and 2014
• 82% of FSW had been tested at least once compared to 60% MSW
• 11% of FSW reported being reached by “Keep the Lights On” Peer Educator within the past 12 months compared to 39% in 2009
• 24% of MSM reported being reached by “Keep the Lights On” or “Path for Life” Peer Educator in 2014
• Partner violence and rape are major problems that need to be addressed in all key populations
• Boys under 18 years who identified as transgender (TG) involved in transactional sex were consistently less aware of available services than other youth engaged in sex work
