Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This interdisciplinary module introduces students to current global health issues, focusing (a) on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); (b) on the expanding range of actors in today's increasingly complicated health policy landscape; and (c) on the web of global interconnections that link developments and choices in the high-income world with the fates of people elsewhere. The module emphasises development of critical perspectives on global health issues, and familiarity with the wealth of available information on the subject.

Outline Of Syllabus

The module will introduce students to the essentials of global health, starting with the historical background to international and global health and moving on to focus on major areas of contemporary concern. Students will be exposed to different approaches used in global health, who are the key actors, and metrics used in global health. Students will then be introduced to different global health initiatives across different areas including communicable and non-communicable diseases, global mental health, globalisation and health, health systems and universal health coverage, climate change and health, among others.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

1.       Discuss what global health is, what it has been and where it is going.
2.       Describe the major differences in patterns of health and illness, and the role of health systems and health financing across the world.
3.       Demonstrate knowledge of how political, economic, social, and environmental factors, including climate change, affect population health generating global health inequalities at national, regional, and global levels.
4.       Recognise the major actors in the global health policy landscape and understand how and why that landscape has changed over time.
5.       Describe the health impacts of globalisation on health.
6.       Demonstrate knowledge of the strengths and weakness of programmes that have been put in place to solve global health problems.

Intended Skill Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

1.       compare, contrast and integrate different disciplinary perspectives on key contemporary global health issues.
2.       synthesise, critically evaluate and present complex arguments regarding global health and health governance strategies including data, models, programmes and theoretical arguments.
3.       engage critically with a multidisciplinary range of research literatures.
4.       write reports and policy briefs using multiple sources of data.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Emphasis is on presentation of background material and case studies from developing countries in order to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts and issues of global health. Presentation will be structured to be as interactive as possible, with opportunities for small group work as appropriate. To bring all the students to a similar level of comprehension, students will be asked to read and prepare prior to the lectures. The module talks will take the form of a formative surgeries on the assessments, in which students discuss queries about the summative assessments, either submitted in advance or provided on the day, no written feedback is provided but the session is recorded for reference. The module leader will also be available for online drop-in Zoom sessions if there is demand.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The written assignment will test students’ knowledge, understanding and capacity for critical analysis of key issues in global health by way of a structured report that requires substantial reference to relevant scientific literature and demands critical thinking and writing skills that emphasise contrasting perspectives on one or more global health issues of contemporary concern. Being able to write a report is a useful skill for public health professionals and forms the basis for policy briefs.

The oral presentation will be an individual presentation on a global health topic.

A formative surgery will be held on the assignments.

General Notes

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