Public Health in International Context
Full course description
A look at questions of public health and health care from an international perspective reveals two persistent trends. The first is globalization. As the world continues to globalize, health threats and health opportunities themselves are becoming more global, and this is readily apparent in recent developments like the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, but also in the context of much older health conditions, such as tuberculosis. The second trend is that of increased diversity and variation. Public health and health care systems are often challenged by the multiplicity of meanings when we talk about health, and, accordingly, also a multiplicity of approaches to, and perspectives on, how health can best be pursued. Analogously, health inequities across various domains are present and these layer with factors that are sometimes considered beyond the boundaries of (public) health (e.g. poverty, gender inequality, racism) but nonetheless need to be tackled if we are to ensure health for all.
The module is divided into five major thematic areas: 1) Global Health Epidemiology and Data Sources; 2) Transnational Health Governance; 3) HIV in Global Perspective; 4) Tobacco; 5) Climate Change. Some cross-cutting dimensions and additional themes in the module are: 1) ethics and ethical dilemmas; 2) interdependence of human populations; 3) health inequalities; 4) environmental issues.
This module also includes a training in which students engage with a public health problem at the international level, and a 2 day seminar with an invited international guest.
Course objectives
Knowledge and insight :
- to comprehend the primary components of what has been called “globalization” and how these processes relate to and impact health;
- to gain an understanding of the most common causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide and how these are addressed by care systems and public policies;
- to gain insight into socioeconomic inequities at the international level (i.e. among and within nations) and to learn about the relevance of these for both health status and strategy regarding the protection and promotion of health.
Application of knowledge and insight:
- to be better able to contribute to health care and public health planning at the international level, both in developing nations and within the context of transnational health governance structures such as international health organizations (e.g. WHO), health treaties (e.g. Framework Convention on Tobacco Control), and public-private partnerships (e.g. GAVI, STOP-TB);
- to be better able to contribute to national and local policies based on a knowledge of the international context of health threats and resources for health.
Formation of a judgement:
- to be able to critically evaluate the scientific and applied value of health data and policy initiatives that relate to the comparison of health or health systems across international borders;
- to be able to critically evaluate the relevance of health data and policy initiatives that relate to the comparison of health or health systems across international borders for the Netherlands and European contexts;
- to be able to identify and discriminate among opportunities for the improvement of health both in developing nations and nations in transition, and through international health organizations, treaties and partnerships.
Communication and learning skills:
- to improve in the ability to present findings to groups on themes of healthcare and public health relevance;
- to gain enhanced understanding of data sources about health topics globally and be able to utilize these efficiently and effectively.