Sustainability and Climate Change in Global Health and Health Care Systems - From Global Systems to Community Action
Course content
This course provides an in-depth understanding of the impacts of climate change on global health and health care systems, and provides participants with the knowledge and skills to critically assess, develop and evaluate sustainable solutions and innovative approaches to climate change-related health concerns. Through an action-based approach towards sustainable livelihoods in the future, emphasis will be placed on the political nature of climate change adaptation, sustainability and intersectionality opposite promotion of climate justice, and health care equity.
The course begins with establishing a common understanding of global sustainability and climate change policy controversies, both by engaging with theoretical discourse on the topic and by analyzing the role of central global partners and stakeholders. Given the clear linkages between planetary boundaries including climate change and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), course participants will analyze the current applications of the SDGs worldwide in the context of human health and how to strengthen these in the light of climate change. This course offers participants the opportunity to learn how to understand, analyze, and assess the relations between sustainable development, climate change, environmental and social determinants of health, and health outcomes, as well as to develop innovative approaches to help solve these issues.
Course participants will explore interdisciplinary methods of inquiry, including perspectives from public/global health, anthropology, disaster studies, human geography, climate sciences, and the humanities. More specifically, the course participants will gain knowledge on: the links between health determinants, disease patterns, and climate change; health care systems’ effects on and preparedness to climate change; health impacts of climate change related hazards and disasters; climate-related migration and displacement; gender and marginalization in the context of climate change; and food insecurity and sustainable food systems. The course is structured around a broad palette of cross-cutting topics, and with the opportunity to specialize within one topic through the lens of climate change and sustainability.
MSc Global Health- elective
MSc Public Health Science- elective
Master of Disaster Management- elective
Knowledge/comprehension:
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Demonstrate an understanding of the major global partners and fora in climate change and sustainability diplomacy;
-
Demonstrate an understanding of the main climate change-related global health trends and be able to engage with the current debates on these health concerns
-
Identify practical sustainable solutions to the above health concerns;
Skills:
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Explain and associate different social and natural sciences theories and analytical frameworks to empirical cases and scenarios;
-
Explain the interactions between climate change, human health and health care systems, and sustainable development;
-
Apply a decolonial lens to these interactions and identify health equity issues;
-
Demonstrate ability to translate knowledge learned into practical applications and solutions;
Competencies:
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Assess the different social and environmental dynamics which contribute to global health trends;
-
Analyze and critically evaluate current applications of the SDGs worldwide;
-
Develop innovative solutions to strengthen current applications of the SDGs in the light of climate change;
-
Analyze and assess the relations between sustainable development, planetary boundaries including climate change, environmental and social determinants of health, and health outcomes;
-
Develop innovative approaches to help solve these issues
Teaching methods for this course will include a combination of
class room and online lectures, creative team exercises, student
presentations, and seminar discussions. Participants will be
expected to read and prepare before class, so that significant
class time can be allocated to debate and discussion, as well as
participation in creative group work (e.g. concept mapping and
debates, etc.)
Course hours will be allocated to small, regular written
assignments throughout the course culminating in a final course
assignment which allows for students to specialize within a
particular topic of their choosing. The final course assignment
will form part of the exam, in addition to participation in at
least three out of the four seminars throughout the
course.
Peer reviewed literature and case documentation, reports issued by diverse global partners witin the field of health, climate change and sustainability
MSc Global Health student must have passed all mandatory courses
Open for credit transfer students, apply here: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/for-students/credit-transfer-students/
open for open university students, apply here: https://efteruddannelse.ku.dk/kursus/enkeltfag/enkeltfag-sund/
open for exchange students
- ECTS
- 2,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Requirement to attend classes under invigilation
- Type of assessment details
- Participation in the course- Participation in two out of three course seminars
- Marking scale
- passed/not passed
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Criteria for exam assessment
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Demonstrate an understanding of the major global partners and fora in climate change and sustainability diplomacy;
-
Demonstrate an understanding of the main climate change-related global health trends and be able to engage with the current debates on these health concerns
-
Identify practical sustainable solutions to the above health concerns;
Skills:
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Explain and associate different social and natural sciences theories and analytical frameworks to empirical cases and scenarios;
-
Explain the interactions between climate change, human health and health care systems, and sustainable development;
-
Apply a decolonial lens to these interactions and identify health equity issues;
-
Demonstrate ability to translate knowledge learned into practical applications and solutions;
Competencies:
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Assess the different social and environmental dynamics which contribute to global health trends;
-
Analyze and critically evaluate current applications of the SDGs worldwide;
- ECTS
- 2,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Criteria for exam assessment
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Demonstrate an understanding of the major global partners and fora in climate change and sustainability diplomacy;
-
Demonstrate an understanding of the main climate change-related global health trends and be able to engage with the current debates on these health concerns
-
Identify practical sustainable solutions to the above health concerns;
Skills:
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Explain and associate different social and natural sciences theories and analytical frameworks to empirical cases and scenarios;
-
Explain the interactions between climate change, human health and health care systems, and sustainable development;
-
Apply a decolonial lens to these interactions and identify health equity issues;
-
Demonstrate ability to translate knowledge learned into practical applications and solutions;
Competencies:
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
-
Assess the different social and environmental dynamics which contribute to global health trends;
-
Analyze and critically evaluate current applications of the SDGs worldwide;
-
Develop innovative solutions to strengthen current applications of the SDGs in the light of climate change;
-
Analyze and assess the relations between sustainable development, planetary boundaries including climate change, environmental and social determinants of health, and health outcomes;
-
Develop innovative approaches to help solve these issues
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 3
- Class Instruction
- 5
- Preparation
- 101
- Project work
- 14
- Seminar
- 15
- English
- 138
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- SGLK24002U
- ECTS
- See exam description
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
Full Degree Master choice
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 1 And Autumn
- Capacity
- 25
- Studyboard
- The Study Board for Public Health Science and Global Health
Contracting department
- Department of Public Health
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Britt Pinkowski Tersbøl (6-65756c7768754376787167316e7831676e)
Teacher
Britt Pinkowski Tersbøl
Emmanuel Raju
Peter Furu
and more
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