Integrating Systems Thinking in Global Health

Catalog description

In this course, students will engage in case studies of global health programs and initiatives. A systems thinking framework will be applied to the cases and students will use the framework to anticipate unintended consequences related to international field work and to propose possible solutions. Cases will illustrate the complexity of global health work and the importance and implications related to the interconnectedness and complementary roles of critical public health systems. The cases used in this course will include a spectrum of small to large scale programs and short-term to long-term response efforts. The framework can be applied domestically and the course will consider domestic health issues. Cases will cover the major topics of the public health system, biosocial context, chronic disease, infectious disease, and systems failures.