Globalisation and Global Health Governance: Power, Politics, and the Transnational Determinants of Health
Module Aims
The module aims to provide students with an understanding of the boundary-spanning determinants of health, exploring how institutional, political, economic and commercial factors influence individual and population health around the world. It provides theoretical and historical insights into the evolution of health and non-health actors after 1945 and health governance at a global level. We consider how international institutions, trade, and markets impact upon health, and consider globalisation and its connections to health inequity in and between countries. Students also consider the commercial determinants of health, exploring how multinational corporations’ activities have impacted on health past and present. We explore critically the complexity, achievements and shortcomings of current global health governance structures, and develop new insights into how these can be shaped to positively impact health equity in the future.
Module Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Describe global and regional governance structures and international agreements, the roles of key actors and the power inequalities that shape their influence in development and health, both past and present.
- Engage with key theories , concepts and practices employed to understand, explain and assess the political, policy, economic, legal and commercial determinants of health and human rights at the global level and how these manifest locally.
- Examine the role of global health diplomacy and foresight approaches in addressing local, regional, and global health policy issues.
- Apply the concept of globalisation to health and health inequalities, security, and emergency preparedness.
Pre-requisites
Teaching Strategy
A mixture of taught sessions, local and global case study comparisons and participatory exercises.
Assessment
Coursework: Structured Assessment “patch test”, including an overview of a selected GH issue, review of existing responses and proposal for new policy or intervention
Module Length
4 days