HSO-10306 Global Health

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

Dutch and/or English

Assumed knowledge on:

It is assumed all students have followed the course Introduction to Health and Society (HSO-10806) and/or have a basic level of knowledge on health indicators, health inequalities, ethics of public health, health care systems, and basic academic writing skills, including APA reference style. Additional readings will be made available for students that lack background knowledge.

Contents:

This introductory course uses a health promotion perspective to critically examine global health concerns, underlying causes and potential actions to address these concerns. The scientific domain of health promotion values health as a human right and a major source for social, economic and personal development and focuses on achieving equity in health. Global health concerns those problems and challenges that cross national borders and require national and international interdisciplinary action for priority setting and intervention.
Emerging concerns range from infectious disease e.g. malaria, to women- and child health, 'second epidemic' problems such as smoking and food-related issues. The course provides a critical view upon health measurement and health priority setting, the determinants underlying global health concerns and the ways these issues are addressed by the health system and through interdisciplinary, international collaborations.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to:
- be able to understand the key concepts in global health, including global priority setting, the global burden of disease, (inter)national health systems, global health governance, social justice and human rights, and global health inequity;
- know the main global health issues and their relation with health, social and economic development;
- know the steps in analyzing global health issues, starting from measurement and priority setting to identification of causes and solutions;
- be able to apply these steps to global health issues in paper assignments.

Activities:

The course consists of three meetings per week on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The lectures and study materials provide students with knowledge on principles, key concepts, priorities, concerned actors and collaborative actions in Global Health.
Assignments
Students work in pairs on one assignment that target the development of critical analysis skills, reflection on ones own understanding, acquisition of additional skills and knowledge and expression the result in written communication.

Examination:

This course will be assessed based on a written, individual exam (50%) and one team assignment that consists of two sub-tasks. First, students need to provide a scheme representing the magnitude and determinants of a global health issue (20%) and second, write a paper on this issue (30%) two team assignments (map global health issues (20%) and write a paper on a global health issue (30%)) and a written, individual exam (50%). The exam and the assignment assignments and the exam must each receive a mark of at least 5.5 in order to pass the course.
In addition, students can receive up to 0.5 bonus credit for specific tasks that will be presented in the first lecture. Absence during obligatory activities and missing deadlines may lead to deduction of points.

Literature:

All students have to buy the textbook: Skolnik, R (2016) Global Health 101. Third Edition. Jones and Bartlett Publishers; Sudbury, USA. The book is available at the Forum bookstore. In addition, selected readings will be made available through BlackBoard.