Undergraduate - UnitHSC3002 - Health for all in a global world

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Synopsis

This unit will build on students' previous learning about global health, through examination of the 'health for all' agenda and associated approaches to meeting the challenges of health inequities.
The intent of this unit is not only to further students' awareness of global health issues, but also to encourage critical thinking about the efficacy of global health programs and the ethics of delivering aid. Central to the unit will be the question of why there is often a failure to provide a total community approach to health issues.

The unit comprises four modules of study.
During the first, students will look at global health from a broad perspective, examining the global health architecture and the roles played by major actors. They will critically appraise social and economic approaches to global health problems and examine the positive and negative outcomes for health.

The second module will cover major principles of effective and successful project management and will highlight past failures to demonstrate the complexity of health improvement in low- and middle-income countries.

The role of Australia in giving aid and addressing health issues in developing nations will be explored in the third module, with students being required to engage in examining and commenting upon the ethical aspects of donor activity. T
his module also includes a session with individuals from the global health workforce, demonstrating the various careers available to students with a health sciences background.

The final module will draw together the key themes of the unit and look at how these can be applied to continuing and future global health challenges.

Outcomes

1. Critically analyse the relationships between various actors and agencies in global health.
2. Explain, using evidence from secondary sources, the positive and negative aspects of different approaches to global health programs in terms of equity and inequity.
3. Apply principles of health-for-all and its expression in project design to address global health challenges.
4. Analyse programs for health issues at national and international levels for their capacity to address health inequities.
5. Critically analyse Australia's position and activity within global health architecture
6. Critique models of ethical and culturally appropriate development and aid delivery.
7. Explain the current and future threats to global health with reference to various social, economic, environmental and political causes.

Assessment

Essay: critical analysis of a donor program, 2000 words (30%)
Project plan: program plan for a given health issue, including the rationale for the proposal, 1000 words (20%)
Project proposal: students will submit a detail project proposal, including an evaluation framework, 3000 words (50%).
The project plan and proposal will be about different aspects of the same health issue (for instance analyzing the same issues using different methodological approaches and tools).

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Brian Oldenburg

Contact hours

3 contact hours per week plus 9 hours per week private study

Prerequisites

HSC1112 or HSC1081