SGLK15006U Global Partners, Policies and Health Care Systems

Volume 2016/2017
Education

MSc Programme in Global Health - compulsory

Content

This course examines the role of partnerships, policies and health care in a global health context. The material is contextualised within a multi-level framework of health spanning geopolitical, ideological, equity-centred, rights-based and health system levels of analysis, and driven by an interest in the challenge of building a global health architecture that enables and supports the possibility of health. Thus, the course will introduce students to current and emerging global health issues regarding partners, policies and health care systems.

First, the course begins with an overview of partners on the global health stage, including multi- and bilateral organisations, non-governmental organizations, active in both humanitarian crises and in development contexts (partners). This section of the course underlines the importance of transnational and cooperative partnerships in the global health response. Here, students will also be introduced to, and learn to critically evaluate and choose between, a number of data sources which may be used to gather data to analyse global health issues; including building up and accessing local and global databases. 

Second, theories and practices concerned with global health policies will be discussed, as will questions of how international policies affect global health. This part of the course includes an introduction to the core values of global health including equity in health and measures to address inequalities in health. This part of the course furthermore introduces a health and human rights approach. Human rights are regarded as fundamental to public health work. Human rights abuses can dramatically affect health, health can be dramatically worsened when human rights are ignored, and health and human rights can act synergistically with each other for the improvement of global health. Moreover, different political ideologies, good governance, policy life cycles and problem identification and categorizations agenda setting will be introduces and their impact on the formation of different policies.

Third, the course will include an introduction to health care systems including financing of health care systems. Organisation of health care systems along different lines such as central-decentral, public-private, specialisation, medical systems, governing methods used in health care systems. Effects on access, quality and scope and equity of different financings systems (taxes, private, charity etc.) and resource allocation methods (fee for service, budget etc.) will be addressed. Factors that may affect access to health care both on a policy, structural and individual level, including economical, social and cultural factors, will be analysed. Furthermore, some aspects of health policy analysis will be included such as welfare states and the role of institutions and evidence.

Throughout, particular attention is given to the mechanisms shaping the global health architecture, and implications for the implementation of global health responses. All material will be contextualised within wider debates and controversies about the global nature of public health, the respective roles of local and global actors, and the potential for participation to alleviate the negative health impacts of social inequalities (especially relating to poverty and gender).

Learning Outcome

Course structure / general information:

The course covers the following themes:

  •  Global partners in health:
  • Global Health Architecture

  • The roles and interplay of of transnational, governmental and nongovernmental organisaitions

  • Global health policies:

  • Equity in health

  • Health and Human Rights

  • Political Ideologies, welfare state systems and citizenship

  • Good governance, participation and democracy

  • Problem identification, categorisations

  • Agenda setting, rational choice and historical institutionalism

    Health care systems in a global context:

  • Different structural approaches

  • Organisation of health care systems, including the governing means and the effects thereof

  • Access to care and determinants hereof

  • Health care financing.

     

    On completion of the course, the students shall demonstrate knowledgeon:

  • Exemplify knowledge of, and be able to discuss, the main international actors and global health policies of international organisations and political systems

  • Exemplify knowledge of and discuss equity in health and health and human rights.

  • Discuss good governance and democracy as well as political ideologies, welfare state systems and citizenship.

  • Illustrate knowledge of and be able to discuss problems regarding the political process and agenda setting.

  • Describe and analyse health care systems’ characteristics and their effects on access, equity and quality of care

  • Demonstrate analytical skills through the use of relevant international databases on health and health care.

  • Describe and discuss the concepts of equity and human rights in relation to global health.

     

    Knowledge

    On completion of the course, the students shall demonstrate knowledge on:

  • Values in global health including equity in health and human rights and health and how they may be applied on concrete cases

  • The international health architecture including its organization and political foundation/institutions.

  • Good governance and democracy as well as political ideologies, welfare state systems and citizenship.

  • Problems in the political process and agenda setting in health care


Skills

On completion of the course, the students shall demonstrate the ability to:

  • Describe, reflect on and discuss the above-mentioned acquired knowledge.

  • Use and analyse data from relevant international databases on health and health care related to global health problems.

  • Apply analytical approaches to global health topics included in the course as learned through case work.
     
  • Describe and analyse health care systems’ characteristics and their effects on access, equity and quality of care

 


Competencies

On completion of the course, the students shall demonstrate the ability to:

  • Describe and discuss the concepts of equity and human rights in relation to global health.

  • Introduce and discuss main international actors and global health policies of international organisations and political systems

  • Describe and discuss good governance and democracy as well as political ideologies, welfare state systems and citizenship.

  • Introduce organisation analysis and problems in the political process and agenda setting.

  • Describe the functioning of health care systems

  • Use their analytical skills on relevant international databases on health and health care 

The course will include a combination of lectures, student activating sessions and group work based on an assignment with supervision. The students will be introduced both to theories and empirical material on all of the course topics.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Exercises
  • 23
  • Lectures
  • 36
  • Preparation
  • 143
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 4 hours under invigilation
The students will answer one or more questions and must write a maximum of six pages.
Aid
Only certain aids allowed

All, except devices allowing for external communication.

The following programmes are available for the exam at Peter Bangs Vej:

Office (Word, Excel, Onenote and Powerpoint)
IO2 – digital pen
Panoramic Viewer
Paint
Calculator – Windows
R – Statistitc programme
ITX MC – multiple choice programme
Adobe reader
USB access – for usb keys with notes etc.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
More than one internal examiner
Exam period

http://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/guidance-information/exam-schedule/global-health/

Re-exam

http://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/guidance-information/exam-schedule/global-health/

Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student must be able to:         

  • Exemplify knowledge of, and be able to discuss, the main international actors and global health policies of international organisations and political systems; further able to discuss good governance and democracy as well as political ideologies, welfare state systems and citizenship.

  • Exemplify knowledge about health system and the consequences of different ways of organising and financing them.

  • Illustrate knowledge of agenda setting and good governance and show the ability to discuss problems regarding the political process and agenda setting.

  • Demonstrate analytical skills through the use of relevant international databases on health and health care.

  • Describe and discuss the concepts of equity and human rights in relation to global health.