Future Challenges in Global Health

Description

The course ‘Future Challenges in Global Health’ is the first course within the minor ‘Biomedical and Health Interventions’ as well as the minor 'Global Health' of the Bachelor’s programs Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences and Health & Life (and other health-oriented Bachelors programs). The world of biomedical and healthcare interventions is in constant flux – new and emerging infectious diseases, changing disease patterns, demographic changes, rising costs of health care; all of which add complexity to the already considerable challenges. At the same time, some innovative answers to these challenges have emerged, such as novel pharmaceuticals, neurotechnologies, gene therapy, e-Health and m-Health (e.g. using a smart phone as a heart rate monitor or as a tool in losing weight or enhancing physical activity), and field test kits replacing entire laboratories. This begs the question: How can we make these answers fit the challenges, which are constantly emerging? History reveals a number of health interventions, which have shown to not be that effective, as well as a numerous unintended consequences (for example how does an anti-malaria campaign lead to collapsing roofs and to cats being parachuted over Borneo?). This course explores how we can learn from these experiences, and use the evidence on effective biomedical and health care interventions to develop better health policies. The beginning of the course provides you with an overview of both current and future challenges, in addition to scientific advancements in global health. We will also study how various countries and organizations, like the WHO, UN, and EU have addressed and dealt with these challenges, and why their policies have (not) been effective. We will use policy models to analyse real-world problems, solutions and policies (e.g. intervention programs). Addressing challenges in global health means both having a thorough knowledge of the health problem and potential interventions and perhaps more crucially, to understand the policy process and gain insight into how interventions can be effectively put into practice. A prominent example of this is the following. We know there is an ideal intervention to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS: a condom. Yet, the disease still spreads, and this is not due to a lack of knowledge. This leaves us with lingering questions such as when is scientific knowledge important? Where do politics come in? Do we need to involve more people in setting up health interventions? Do we need to work in public-private partnerships? Important Note: For students who are interested in the minor Global Health, we highly encourage you to either follow all 5 courses (periods1+2+3) within this minor, or at least 4 courses (periods1+2)! This is important because in the practical part of all courses in the minor Global Health, including this one, you will use your newly acquired knowledge and apply it in a community engaged learning project that runs from period 1 to 3. Students will work in project teams on a real-life transdisciplinary global health challenge together with various local and global community partners. Students will cross disciplinary boundaries and interact with health professionals, patients and others to gain an in-depth understanding of global health problems, and to take cohesive and strategic actions to address these problems at a local level. Each course in the minor program will incorporate a different sub-project, starting in the first two courses with a broad exploration and needs analysis on the topic, followed by a more thorough investigation on a specific challenge in the next two courses, and concluding in the final course with a proposal for a sustainable innovation. Training workshops are offered throughout the minor program to support the development of specific skills such as transdisciplinary collaboration, reflection, social justice, global citizenship, dealing with diversity, creativity, leadership and adaptability. Course Objective: The student can list the five future challenges in global health and classify examples of health problems under each of these challenges. The student can explain how new developments in health and life sciences interact with global health challenges. The student can examine different policies developed at both the national and international level to address global health challenges. The student can compare policy-making processes between countries and the different visions that exist on policy. The student can apply certain methods, such as causal analysis and document review to perform a policy analysis within a team of students, on a real-world global health challenge. The student can develop a policy brief on the basis of different sources of information (policy documents, scientific publications, grey literature), justify and present a synthesis of his/her findings verbally and in written form. Assessment Information: Exam(s) (individual assessment) (50%) and assignment (group assessment) (50%). Both parts need to be passed. Teaching Methods: Lectures (21 hrs), training workshop (10 hrs), working groups (16 hrs), self study (110 hrs), exam (3 hrs)