MPH8005 : Introduction to Global Health
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Colin Millard
- Lecturer: Dr Malcolm Moffat, Professor Matthew Prina, Dr Mark Booth, Professor Georg Lietz
- Owning School: Population Health Sciences
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This interdisciplinary module introduces students to current global health issues, focusing (a) on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); (b) on the expanding range of actors in today's increasingly complicated health policy landscape; and (c) on the web of global interconnections that link developments and choices in the high-income world with the fates of people elsewhere. The module emphasises development of critical perspectives on global health issues, and familiarity with the wealth of available information on the subject.
Outline Of Syllabus
The module will introduce students to the essentials of global health, starting with the historical background to international and global health and moving on to focus on major areas of contemporary concern. Students will be exposed to different approaches used in global health, who are the key actors, and metrics used in global health. Students will then be introduced to different global health initiatives across different areas including communicable and non-communicable diseases, global mental health, globalisation and health, health systems and universal health coverage, climate change and health, among others.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | End of module assessment |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Mid module assessment - small group presentations |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 9 | 2:00 | 18:00 | Present in person interactive lectures |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 1 | 1:30 | 1:30 | Present in Person interactive lecture |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 4 | 1:00 | 4:00 | Non-synchronous online |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 9 | 1:00 | 9:00 | Present in person discussion and group work |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 143 | 1:00 | 143:00 | |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 1:30 | 1:30 | Present in person introductory lecture |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 2 | 1:30 | 3:00 | Present in person: Formative surgeries for summative assessments |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Emphasis is on presentation of background material and case studies from developing countries in order to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts and issues of global health. Presentation will be structured to be as interactive as possible, with opportunities for small group work as appropriate. To bring all the students to a similar level of comprehension, students will be asked to read and prepare prior to the lectures. The module talks will take the form of a formative surgeries on the assessments, in which students discuss queries about the summative assessments, either submitted in advance or provided on the day, no written feedback is provided but the session is recorded for reference. The module leader will also be available for online drop-in Zoom sessions if there is demand.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 2 | M | 60 | 2000 words maximum report |
| Oral Presentation | 2 | M | 40 | Present in Person, individual oral presentation - 15 minutes |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The written assignment will test students’ knowledge, understanding and capacity for critical analysis of key issues in global health by way of a structured report that requires substantial reference to relevant scientific literature and demands critical thinking and writing skills that emphasise contrasting perspectives on one or more global health issues of contemporary concern. Being able to write a report is a useful skill for public health professionals and forms the basis for policy briefs.
The oral presentation will be an individual presentation to demonstrate the students’ in-depth knowledge of one of the global health topics in the first half of the module. A good presentation will also demonstrate a good general knowledge of global health issues addressed in the first half of the module.
A formative surgery will be held on the assignments.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MPH8005's Timetable