Global Health Design in Uganda

Catalog description

The CWRU Anthropology-Engineering Collaborative (AEC) offers this unique course applying social science and engineering skills and expertise to address global health issues in Uganda. The AEC is part of a longstanding collaboration between CWRU and Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Students collaborate with students at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and the CWRU student group, Global Health Design Collaborative (GHDC), to design and implement solutions to specific health issues in Luwero, Uganda. Students meet weekly during the semester to learn about global health technology design and anthropology. Students work with GHDC and program faculty on specific projects; activities may include conducting needs assessment, prototype development, design validation and verification, and preparation of a project report. Current projects focus on designing a pediatric pulse oximeter; identifying means to preserve the cold chain for vaccine outreach and improving medical waste disposal. In Uganda, students and their Makerere University counterparts travel together to Luwero district where they visit health centers to collaborate with local staff to review current design prototypes and issues. Activities include: talking to health center staff at different levels of the health care system, observing a community health outreach, and meeting with diverse stakeholders in Luwero and Kampala. Students gain hands-on experience in engineering design, social science methods, and working in transnational, interdisciplinary teams and contribute directly to ongoing efforts to address global health issues in Uganda. Students are encouraged to contribute to the projects through ongoing work with GHDC. The course may be taken as either ENGR 350U or ANTH 300 . The course fee covers travel and on-the-ground expenses. The class is open to all majors but enrollment is by application and instructors' consent. Offered as ENGR 350U and ANTH 300 . Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Local & Global Engagement course. Counts as a Understanding Global Perspectives course.