Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P)
Dates for Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P)
Health Emergencies in Large Populations Dates
Summer Institute 2025: 14-25 July 2025
How to Apply?
Submit the completed application form along with your CV to the HELP team via email.
The Health Emergencies in Large Populations course is offered by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and for the January HELP course, the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. For more than 25 years, the HELP course has offered humanitarian workers intensive training in the public health principles of disaster preparedness and disaster management. The course was founded to apply public health principles to the humanitarian needs of populations affected by disasters, both natural and conflict-related.
HELP participants come from a variety of civil society, governmental, and non-governmental organizations, and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement. Professions represented have included nurses, physicians, public health professionals, lawyers, journalists, managers, planners, logisticians, and aid workers. Some people attending have had many years of experience in specific areas of humanitarian assistance, and others are just beginning their careers.
Outline of Program
► Welcome
Welcome to the Health Emergencies in Large Populations (HELP) Institute. We are happy to have you participating in this course which covers the essentials of responding to the public health needs of populations affected by disasters using a multi-sectoral lens.
► Goal of HELP
The Goal of HELP is to create an understanding of the public health needs of populations caught up in disaster and conflict. This includes the background, underlying causes, the dynamics which cause populations to be vulnerable in emergencies, and how evidence can improve decision-making. Conceptually, participants will understand the link between disaster and development response and how development programs reduce risks for vulnerable populations.
► Objectives of HELP
The Objectives of HELP are to equip participants to respond to the public health needs of populations in emergency situations. These include the areas of planning, epidemiological assessment, control of communicable diseases, information and surveillance systems, environmental sanitation methods, and meeting nutritional requirements in refugee situations. The course will provide an understanding of other issues of displaced populations, including the protection of vulnerable groups, building human security, and meeting the mental health needs of affected populations. The coursework and course materials will emphasize the link between human rights, human security, and technical components of disaster response.
► Course Learning Description
Course Description
- Covers the basics of health care in refugee and disaster situations, including disaster epidemiology, environmental health, food and nutritional issues in emergencies, the design, and implementation of health services, and managing communicable diseases.
- Covers related issues such as conflict origins and conflict resolution, international humanitarian law, human rights, human security, and humanitarian ethics.
- Addresses real-world problems relating to providing public health services to displaced populations or populations affected by disasters.
- Shares extensive field experience in emergency situations with faculty from many backgrounds.
► Course Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
Describe the essential issues related to public health, health care, management, humanitarian law, and ethics that are associated with humanitarian action, and methods to address them.
Analyze health and other humanitarian needs using a multidisciplinary approach that takes into consideration the perceptions, vulnerabilities, and capabilities of the people affected.
Demonstrate, with examples, how the collection and use of public health evidence can lead to management decisions that improve the health of vulnerable populations
Plan, manage, and evaluate activities in response to major humanitarian crises.
Explain how diseases are detected, managed, and prevented in a disaster-affected population, with special attention to epidemics.
►Instructors
►Application
The goal of HELP is to approach the needs of disaster-affected populations with a public health lens. The course will equip participants with the basic skills and competencies to enable them to respond to the public health needs of populations in humanitarian situations. Topics will be covered both through recorded modules prior to the course and live sessions which will build on the recorded materials. Providing assistance begins with understanding the background, underlying causes, context, and current dynamics that cause populations to have health vulnerabilities in emergencies. Building on this, the course will include the topics listed below:
The 2-week workshop will also include a one-day simulation, during which acquired skills and knowledge can be applied. At the completion of this course, participants will be able to: Describe the essential issues related to public health, health care, management, law, and ethics that are associated with humanitarian action, and methods to address them. All healthcare and public health professionals working in health emergencies and humanitarian assistance will benefit from attending this workshop. The virtual HELP workshop (January)The virtual HELP workshop began during the pandemic using Zoom technology, and now will be offered every January (The Summer July HELP courses will be in person). The virtual workshop has the same structure and instructors as in the Baltimore on-site workshop. Group work continues to be an important part of the course. A basic requirement is that all participants have adequate internet connectivity to actively participate through Zoom and to be able to view the PowerPoints and videos that are part of the workshop materials. The January virtual HELP workshop has two parts, the online recorded (asynchronous) lectures to be completed in the 4 weeks before the virtual HELP workshop starts and the 2 weeks of attendance in the virtual (synchronous/’live’) HELP workshop. Before the workshop, participants will complete a series of online preparatory class modules requiring approximately 10-12 hours and completed at their own pace. A quiz at the end of these modules will assure you that you have mastered the basic materials to begin the live virtual workshop through Zoom. Participants must make time to complete the online recorded lectures before the virtual HELP workshop starts. During the interactive virtual live sessions, participants will participate in case studies, discussions, lectures, and exchange of experiences with colleagues, as well as apply the skills learned through the online courses. Problem-solving and group exercises will be done in group sessions. The virtual live part will require 6–6.5 hours of your full attention every day for both lectures and group work. In addition, it will take you 2–3 hours to prepare for the next day’s sessions. This is not a workshop to take while continuing your regular work. The virtual session in 2026 runs from 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (U.S. Eastern time) to allow people from many time zones to participate. There will be breaks between the sessions, so you can have tea or coffee or grab a snack, and one longer (30 min) nutrition break. The in-person HELP workshop (July)
Before arriving at JHU to attend the workshop, you must complete a series of online preparatory (asynchronous) class modules requiring approximately 10-12 hours and completed at your own pace, just like it is required for the virtual HELP workshop. A quiz at the end of these modules will assure you that you have mastered the basic materials to begin the in-person. Participants must make time to complete the online (asynchronous) recorded lectures before the in-person HELP workshop starts. During the in-person workshop, participants will participate in case studies, discussions, lectures, and exchange of experiences with colleagues, as well as apply the skills learned through the online modules. Problem-solving and group exercises will be done in group sessions. The HELP workshop will require your full attention every day for both lectures and group work. This is not a workshop to take while continuing your regular work. The in-person session in 2025 runs from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on July 14-25. A limited number of scholarships are available to cover some of the course fees for participants from low- and middle-income countries for both the virtual and the in-person courses. The scholarship does not cover transport costs to Baltimore. If interested, please request it when submitting your application. Course Fees and ScholarshipsThe HELP course is offered for 5 JHU credit hours. The costs for both academic credit and non-academic credit can be found on the School's tuition and fees page. Subtracted from this amount for noncredit students is a general scholarship of $1372.50, which is available to all participants of the HELP course. There are a minimal number of full scholarships available: A full scholarship covers the full cost of the course. However, this will only be available for a few selected individuals in Low and Middle-Income countries. Please refer to the application for information about the full scholarship. How to Apply?
Contact the HELP Course Coordination Team if you have any questions not covered on the website. |
Accolades from Recent Participants
All of the instructors were extremely impressive and I appreciated their diverse professional backgrounds in field medicine, food security/nutrition, and others.
The instructors were wonderful. I loved the enthusiasm and knowledge, and wide array of experience.
I want to reiterate my appreciation for the incredible HELP Course. The course exceeded my expectations and I feel much more prepared and knowledgeable about public health in emergencies and am looking forward to applying all that I learned to my professional career.
It was one of the best courses I have ever taken, even because during the HELP course, we learned a lot from knowledgeable and experienced experts, the course is full of practical cases and brainstorming, the simulation was amazing and you have the chance to meet people from around the world and learn from different intervention environments.
The course is very helpful as well as a country like Nepal, which is very prone to natural disasters, this course will help us to be ready for any kind of disaster.
I have gained more experience and lots of knowledge from the scenarios provided by senior lectures at JHSPH which makes me an ideal person now to contribute to the development of my country.
Thanks to all the facilitators for their brilliant insight and rich teaching.
