Student reflections on an interdisciplinary pandemics course utilising systems thinking.

Issue Addressed: The complexity and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to change training of public health professionals in higher education by shifting from siloed specialisations to interdisciplinary collaboration. At the end of 2020 and 2021, public health professionals collaboratively designed and delivered, a week-long intensive course-Public Health in Pandemics. The aim of this research study was to understand whether the use of systems thinking in the design and delivery of the course enabled students to grasp the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary health promotion and public health practice.

Community reactions to the introduction of permethrin-treated bed nets for malaria control during a randomized controlled trial in western Kenya.

Prior to implementation of a randomized controlled trial of insecticide (permethrin)-treated bed nets (ITNs) in western Kenya, ethnographic studies were conducted to understand local perceptions of disease, sleeping patterns, and other factors that might affect use of ITNs. Educational activities took place prior to distribution, but immediately after distribution in Asembo only approximately half of the ITNs were in use. A qualitative study was then conducted to identify the community's perceptions about ITNs and the ITN project.