POPLHLTH 715 : Global Public Health

Medical and Health Sciences

2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Explores global health from a public health perspective, with a strong emphasis on health and its determinants in developing countries. Topics covered include the global burden of risk and disease, global environmental challenges to health, international health governance, international healthcare financing and international health promotion.

Course Overview


This course is an introduction into the key health governance institutions that are central to decision making and actions in the field of global health. We are fortunate to be able to draw upon local and international expertise across a range of key global health topics. Each year the course is reconfigured to reflect current priorities in global health while preserving emphasis on the core principles. Now we turn our attention towards establishing the foundation for why global health is New Zealand's business, examining the linkages between major global health concerns (e.g. climate and obesity) as well as examining the mechanisms for ensuring accountability for the effective use of scarce resources to benefit the health of all populations.
The course occupies four full days spaced at monthly intervals. Although the course outline indicates that there will be lectures, seminars, and required coursework components, underpinning this is an educational philosophy that you and your fellow classmates have a valid and valuable contribution to make to our collective learning. We, therefore, encourage your contribution to debates, in-class activities, and online discussions. This teaching style reflects our view that effective learning occurs when students are active participants rather than passive observers. The approach combines lectures, case studies, and discussions drawing on the experience of students and guest speakers. Small group sessions are used to carry out specific exercises and for discussion purposes. Students are also required to present prepared material in class.

This course is highly recommended course for the following pathways and specialisations in the Public Health programme:
  • General
  • Pacific Health
  • Health Promotion
  • Environmental Health
It is also an optional course for the BHSc(Hons) programme.
It is a core course for the Masters in Health Leadership specialising in Global Health.

POPLHLTH 752 Case Studies in Global Health follows on from this course in Semester 2.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Master of Public Health

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Identify and describe the globally distributed determinants of risks to health in low and higher resourced settings (global burden of disease) (Capability 1.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2 and 6.3)
  2. Analyse and compare the various frameworks that underpin global health, including the right to health, health equity and the SDGs (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 5.2 and 6.2)
  3. Evaluate the roles played by the various global health governance organisations, including the World Health Organization, non-governmental and philanthropic organisations; (Capability 2.2, 3.2, 4.2, 5.2 and 6.3)
  4. Discuss the competing demands on the development and delivery of global health initiatives, including for example, global health governance, financing and global priority setting. (Capability 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Critical Review 25% Individual Coursework
viewpoint/commentary paper 40% Individual Coursework
Group Presentation 20% Group Coursework
Individual Background document on the presentation 15% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Critical Review
viewpoint/commentary paper
Group Presentation
Individual Background document on the presentation

Policy on late assessments
It is very important to get your assessments in on time.
If you are not able to meet the deadline for submission you must notify the course coordinator/lecturer and the course administrator BEFORE the due date/time to avoid the penalties resulting from not having an approved extension. If circumstances prevent a student making an application before the assessment due date/time, the Academic Director will consider and may approve an application for late submission.
The School of Population Health policy on late assessments is as follows:
Due dates for assessments must be strictly observed
Extensions will only be given in very exceptional and unavoidable circumstances, and if approved by the course coordinator/lecturer prior to the assessment due date. Penalties will be imposed for extensions (see below)
Late assessments where an extension has not been given will be penalised as follows:
Up to 2 weeks (including weekend days) late - 5% off the assessment total mark for each day late e.g.
if an assessment is out of 40 and is 1 day late, then 2 marks (5% of 40) will be deducted from the grade achieved
if an assessment is out of 40 and is 5 days late, then 10 marks (25% of 40) will be deducted from the grade achieved
More than 14 days late – the assessment will NOT be graded

Learning Resources

The core textbook for this course will be notified to students at the time of enrolment for the course.
Students are provided access to online course pages in CANVAS which is the University’s online Learning Management System. These pages give the course outline, objectives for each session and recommended reading. All PowerPoint presentations and additional course materials are available through CANVAS.

Course Contacts

Course Coordinator
Dr Judith McCool 
Associate Professor
Email: j.mccool@auckland.ac.nz
Phone: +64 (0) 9 923 2372
Course Administrator
Mrs Kashmira Irani 
Group Services Administrator
Email: k.irani@auckland.ac.nz
Phone: +64 (0) 9 923 6549

Workload Expectations

For this course, you can expect 30 hours of lectures, and tutorials are set up as required by students. 

It is suggested for this course that three to four hours be set aside to prepare for each session. Overall, a 15 point postgraduate course is estimated to require 10 hours a week over a 12 week semester, including campus attendance, reading, assignments, study and exams.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 19/12/2019 07:57 p.m.