Fundamentals of Global Health

Essentials of Global Health is a comprehensive introduction to global health. It aims to introduce you to the topic in a well-structured, clear and easy-to-understand manner. Much of the course will focus on five questions: What makes people sick, disabled and dying? Why do they suffer from these conditions? Which people suffer the most? Why should we care? What can be done to address key health issues, hopefully cost-effectively, quickly and sustainably? The course will have a global scope, but with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, the health of the poor and health inequalities. The course will have a special focus on health systems, the relationship between health and development, and health issues related to global interdependence. The course will cover key concepts and frameworks, but will also have a practical focus. ESSENCES OF GLOBAL HEALTH was made possible in part by generous funding from the DAVID F. SWENSEN Foundation for Innovation in Teaching. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Course objectives By the end of the course, students should be able to: - articulate the key public health concepts related to global health; - analyse key global health issues from a variety of perspectives; - confidently discuss the burden of disease in different regions of the world, how it differs by sex, age and location, the main risk factors for this burden, and ways in which the burden of disease can be addressed in cost-effective ways; - assess the main inequalities in health, particularly as they relate to the health of poor and marginalized populations in low- and middle-income countries; - describe the key actors and organizations in global health and how they collaborate to address critical global health issues; - review the major global health issues likely to emerge in the coming decades. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Course Value The course aims to provide particular value because it is comprehensive, addresses each topic within a consistent framework, and helps students gain an understanding of well-founded approaches to assessing global health problems and what can be done to address them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Readings and Other Resources for Essentials of Global Health In almost every Essentials of Global Health session, you will see: - Required readings - Recommended readings - Recommended videos For each session, we have selected a small number of resources that are key to understanding the lesson content. We have placed these in the "required readings" section. For each required reading, we have also indicated how carefully you should read the material and which parts of the material you should focus on. In addition, we have selected a few additional resources that will be very helpful in understanding the content of each session. The first is the textbook, Global Health 101, Third Edition. This is a comprehensive introductory textbook that is fully aligned with the content of this course, "Essentials of Global Health." We have indicated for each lesson which part of the book you should read. Using this textbook can be very valuable in helping you master the course content. The second group of "recommended reading" is additional reading, mainly journal articles and reports. For these, we have also indicated,how carefully you should read the material and which parts of the material you should focus on. Learners should note that in order to access articles from The Lancet, they will need to register with The Lancet unless they have online access to a library that carries The Lancet. Once registered, they will be able to log in to The Lancet and access all of its free articles. We have also included one or two videos for most lessons that are relevant to the topic of the lesson. These are designed to help the learner better understand what is being discussed. Most learners will find these videos short, easy, and enjoyable to watch, as well as very educational.