Global Health

In a globalizing world, health challenges are also transcending national boundaries and becoming more complex. To face up to them, there needs to be a two-way flow of resources, expertise and know-how between developed and developing countries, involving stakeholders from different scientific disciplines. Only a combined learning processes of this kind has the potential to generate effective, innovative solutions to global health issues and to create equitable health systems around the world.

WHO SHOULD JOIN?
Students and professionals with a science background and an interest in complex health problems in an international context. If you have doubts about your eligibility for the course, please let us know. Our courses are multi-disciplinary and therefore are open to students and professions with a wide variety of backgrounds. 

COURSE CONTENT
This course provides you with in-depth insights into the growing complexity of the burden of disease, particularly in low and middle-income countries, as well as the main challenges surrounding health systems, infectious and non-communicable conditions, child and reproductive health. It equips you with a critical and holistic view on these challenges as well as the potential solutions.

Thanks to our association with the Amsterdam Institute of Global Health and Development (AIGHD), we offer you access to an extensive network of partners and experts in health and related domains. In group discussions and debates, they invite you to think critically about these issues around the world. Your learning experience is further enriched through thought-provoking interviews with key local and international actors in the field.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this course, you:

• Gain a critical knowledge of local and global health issues.
• Can take an interdisciplinary apporoach to health and disease-related problems around the world.
• Possess the skills needed to collaborate with peers from different disciplines.
• Know how to obtain reliable and critical data to develop a topic for discussion.
• Possess the skills needed debate topics related to global health.

EXCURSION
A visit to an institution relevant to the topics addressed, such as the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) or the Amsterdam Community Health Service (GGD).

COURSE READING
Markle et al. (2013, second edition), Understanding Global Health (to be confirmed). Journals: The Lancet, WHO Bulletin, American Journal of PUblic Health, Social Science and Medicine. Related websites are those of WHO, Unhabitat and the Worldbank.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE
"In my global health course, we took an underground tour of Amsterdam with an ex-addict. We approached the Red Light District and drug laws from a public healther perspective, which completely changed how I looked at the city." -Priya Mathew