Module Code - Title:
BM6052
-
GLOBAL HEALTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
The module aims to introduce students to the most important health challenges facing the world today, the global health governance structures and the role of the key actors. It provides students with a greater appreciation of the global interconnectedness of health problems and equip them with a range of analytical and methodological skills to address the challenges of global health. The module will enable students to gain an insight into the global sustainable development and measuring its progress and how various societal actors are responding to and implementing the UN sustainable development goals. Practically, the fundamental goal of the module is to equip students with specific, transferable knowledge, skills and abilities to apply design thinking approach to unlocking their creative capabilities to identifying, testing, and implementing creative public health solutions to improve global health issues.
Syllabus:
This module will cover the following contents areas: Global health governance, Health system strengthening, Sustainable development goals, Design thinking and system thinking approaches for global health, Prevention and control of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases, Maternal and Child Health, Aging, Mental health, Environment and Climate, Migration, Nutrition, Water and Sanitation.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students will:
- Apply design thinking process to a variety of global health complex problems.
- Assess opportunities, challenges and barriers for global health issues.
- Adapt and generate new solutions to optimize resources and improve global health outcomes.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the notions of system thinking, integrated solutions and multisectoral approach to address complex health challenges by coordinating the application of scientific, technological, social innovations.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students will:
- have enhanced analytical, critical thinking and decision-making skills.
- value creativity, innovation and human-centred approach in global health.
- embrace both critical and systemic approaches to problem solving and rational decision-making.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
Not applicable
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
This is a five-week competency-based module. It will be delivered on-campus through a mix of case studies, on-campus lectures, classroom-based workshops, teamwork projects, and individual projects. Students will engage with fellow learners and tutors in classroom-based workshops and group assignments. All the lecturers involved are experienced researchers who will draw from their research expertise to develop and facilitate a transformative learning experience where students will learn from each other and will be guided to apply the concepts learnt in lectures to specific real-life case studies that address several UN SDGs. The plurality of disciplinary backgrounds and nationalities/cultural backgrounds of lecturers and students, as well as the participatory learning approach employed during workshops and tutorials will enable the implementation of a flexible, inclusive, active, and applied teaching and learning approach. The learning experience will be technology-enhanced using Brightspace and various software packages and tools. Major focus will be placed into the provision of specific feedback to students to foster a flexible and agile learning experience through ongoing reflection of strong points and areas where improvement is needed.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Jacobsen, K. H. (2014)
Introduction to global health
, Jones & Bartlett Publishers
Roorda, N. (2007)
Fundamentals of sustainable development
, Routledge
Benatar, S., & Brock, G. (2011)
Global health and global health ethics
, Cambridge University Press.
Cooper, A. F., & Kirton, J. J. (2009)
Innovation in global health governance: critical cases
, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Other Relevant Texts:
Emmanuel Tsekleves, Rachel Cooper (2017)
Design for Health
, Routledge
Jones, P. (2013)
Design for care: Innovating healthcare experience
, Rosenfeld Media
Dalby, S., Horton, S., Mahon, R., & Thomaz, D (2019)
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Global Governance Challenges
, Routledge
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
MSPUHETFA - PUBLIC HEALTH
MSPUHETPA - PUBLIC HEALTH
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Spring
Module Leader:
Vikram.Niranjan@ul.ie