EXSC 3400 - Global Health

(3) Credit Hours
Prerequisite: EXSC 3050 or HDAS 3010 or HSCI 3000
This course provides students with an overview of the determinants of health and of how health status is measured. Students review the burden of disease, who is most affected by disease burdens, associated risk factors, and key measures to address the burden of disease in cost-effective ways. Special attention is paid throughout the course to health systems issues. The course covers key concepts and frameworks but is scientific in orientation. The course is global in coverage, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, the health of the poor, equity, and inequality. Particular attention is paid throughout the course to the linkages between health and development.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1) Articulate key public health concepts, including: the demographic and epidemiological transitions, the burden of disease, the impact of key health conditions on individuals and on communities, and critical issues in the organization and delivery of health services; 2) Outline the determinants of health and risk factors for conditions of importance to global health; 3) Discuss the burden of disease in various regions of the world, how it varies both within and across countries, and how the disease burden can be addressed in cost-effective ways; 4) Assess key issues in equity and inequality, as they relate to the health of low-income people in low- and middle-income countries; 5) Use key analytical tools and concepts to determine how critical health issues might be addressed in cost-effective, efficient, and sustainable ways; 6) Outline the key actors and organizations in global health and the manner in which they cooperate to address critical global health issues