Globalization and Health

Catalog description

Health is critical to the continuation of humankind. Living in a globalized world, we have to develop a good understanding of how the global social, cultural, economic, and political order affects people’s access to health and quality health care. Together, we will study how a variety of global factors contribute to people’s wellness and risk of illness. International travel and migration contribute to the spread of infectious diseases and shape a growing international labor market in health care. International and global economic policies such as patent law and trade agreements affect people’s life quality and their access to healthy food, medicine, and health service and providers. As a result, we have witnessed significant global, national, regional, racial, and gender inequities in health outcomes. Climate change also impacts the availability of food and water and increases the prevalence of certain diseases and hazards such as heat waves and floods. By the end of this class, the students will gain familiarity with global perspectives and influences on human health that are relevant to careers in health care and other fields.