Challenges in Global Health

Course goals

After completion of this course, the student is able to:

1. Describe the burden of chronic disease
2. Describe the epidemiologic transition and factors implicated in the epidemiologic transition
3. Explain the practice of chronic disease surveillance and control
4. Explain approaches to chronic disease prevention
5. Describe the epidemiology of common chronic diseases, methodological challenges in conducting chronic disease research and factors influencing the interpretation of epidemiologic research for specific chronic diseases.
6. Describe the relationships between major lifestyle risk factors and the role of early life experiences in the variation in disease occurrence.
7. Describe a life-course approach in epidemiologic research.
8. Describe and understand the importance of communicable disease and non-communicable diseases.
9. Describe the effect of urban design on health

Content

Please note: this course is only taught once every 2 years!

Contact details: Educational Office Epidemiology
E-mail: msc-epidemiology@umcutrecht.nl

Registration:
Epidemiology students  can register for this course via Osiris Student. More information about the registration procedure can be found here on the Students' site. NOTE Students of the MSc Epidemiology (Post Graduate) that register in time (i.e. at least two weeks before the start of a course) will always be admitted to the course unless it is completely full.
IMPORTANT! Students from other masters programmes need to register via Home | Utrecht Summer School. Costs may be associated with this course.

Course coordinator:
Dr. K. Klipstein-Grobusch, UMC Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Utrecht, the Netherlands

Course description:
This one-week course is offered jointly with the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, to MSc Epidemiology students at Utrecht University, Wits and Pretoria University. It aims to enhance the participant's knowledge and understanding of major global health challenges in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on chronic non-communicable diseases.

The burden of illness from chronic disease is rapidly increasing worldwide in particular in lower and middle-income countries facilitated through considerable lifestyle changes associated with demographic, societal and epidemiological transitions. The course addresses topics such as the causes, risk factors and epidemiology of non-communicable diseases and which approaches to disease prevention and management of non-communicable diseases seem to be most effective both at individual and population-level. 

Learning will take place through blended learning approaches (combination of remote online and in person sessions), readings, and assignment(s). The course consists of both self-study (for example lectures and reading material), online quizzes and group work. 

Literature/study material used (recommended):
Below you will find a two selected pre-readings articles for the course ‘Challenges in Global Health’:Non-communicable diseases. 

• Ezzati M, Riboli E. Can noncommunicable diseases be prevented? Lessons from studies of populations and individuals. Science. 2012 Sep 21;337(6101):1482-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1227001. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/337/6101/1482
• Gouda HN, Charlson F, Sorsdahl K, et al. Burden of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, 1990-2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet Glob Health. 2019;7(10):e1375-e1387. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(19)30374-2.

  
Mandatory for students in own Master’s programme:
MIght be for a specialization programme of Epidemiology & Epidemiology Postgraduate
 
Optional for students in other GSLS Master’s programme:
Yes
 
Prerequisite knowledge:
-