Epidemiology for Humanitarians: a list of online free introduction courses

By Claire Barnhoorn - On

Having one of my dearest friends as an epidemiologist, it was always easy to have at least a basic understanding and a go-to person for questions when I did some research on disease data back in the days in the Democratic Republic of Congo with MSF. For all of us humanitarians, unlocking basic knowledge an understanding of infectious diseases can be a goal, therefore, I am excited to share my latest blog post with you.

In today’s rapidly changing world, knowledge in this field is more critical than ever for humanitarian workers and healthcare professionals. I’ve curated an extensive list of free online courses in public and global health for humanitarians lately. However, epidemiology and epidemics, became such a large list within that field, therefore a separate list; providing a comprehensive overview and introduction to these vital subjects. Whether you’re a seasoned humanitarian health worker looking to refresh your skills or someone new to the field seeking to make a difference, these courses offer a valuable resource to help you better understand, prevent, and respond to infectious diseases. Explore my handpicked selection and take the first step toward becoming a more informed and effective agent of change in global health. To start with a course with reflections from Dartmoor University: Reflections from 40 Years Fighting International Epidemics (14 hours).

Public Health and Epidemiology, introduction courses

  1. Global Health and Humanitarianism by the University of Manchester (11 hours)
  2. Public Health in Emergencies by IFRC (4 hours)
  3. Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies by Emory University (8 hours)
As per the introduction, more courses in Public Health for Humanitarians can be found in my earlier post: Top Free Online Courses in Public Health for Humanitarians: A Comprehensive List

Introduction courses into Epidemiology and Epidemics for humanitarians

  1. Epidemiology: The Basic Science of Public Health by the University of North Caroline and Chapel Hill (6 hours)
  2. Public Health introduction to Epidemiology, by IFRC (1 hour)
  3. Global Disease Masterclass: Communicable Diseases Epidemiology, Intervention and Prevention by Imperial College London (18 hours)
  4. Understanding Epidemiology – Principles and Concepts by Alpha Academy (
  5. Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialization by John Hopkins University (40 hours)
  6. Epidemiology for Public Health Specialization by Imperial College London (40 hours)
  7. Epidemics – the Dynamics of Infectious Diseases by Pennsylvania State University (16 hours)
  8. Essential Epidemiologic Tools for Public Health Practice by John Hopkins University (4 hours)
  9. Epidemics by Hong Kong University (46 hours)
  10. Outbreaks and Epidemics by John Hopkins University (5 hours)
  11. Measuring Disease in Epidemiology by Imperial College London (10 hours)
  12. Validity and Bias in Epidemiology by Imperial College (7 hours)
  13. Investigating Epidemics like COVID-19: An Analyst’s Guide by John Hopkins University (11 hours)
  14. Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface by Geneva University (48 hours)
  15. Health-care associated infection surveillance by WHO (4 hours)
  16. Epidemics I by Hong Kong University (15 hours)
  17. Epidemics II by Hong Kong University (9 hours)
  18. Mpox: Epidemiology, preparedness and response for African outbreak contexts by WHO 
  19. In the footsteps of Zika… approaching the unknown by Geneva University (13 hours) 
  20. WASH in Epidemics by Ready initiative (3 hours)
If you are looking for specific disease courses, please check the OpenWHO online learning platform developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Their platform addresses a wide range of public health topics, and disease-specific courses: online accessible here.

Other free online courses for humanitarians

This list is part of a larger effort, with many online courses for humanitarians. I started making those list public from World Humanitarian Day 2022 onwards. For an overview please take a look here: A list of trusted online humanitarian learning opportunities. Some of the more specific lists include:

Disclaimer: I am far from an expert with all online courses and MOOCs available on epidemiology. So, if you happen to know of other essential courses, please feel free to please drop me a note. I relish keeping my sector, peers and those interested in humanitarian assistance up to date with all the great online free learning courses available online.