Challenges in Global Health (Summerschool)

This one-week course introduces participants to major public health challenges in lower- and middle-income countries. It provides an introduction to the public health importance, aetiology, risk factors, and epidemiology of chronic non-communicable diseases, while underscoring the intersection between communicable and non-communicable disease. Participants will learn about health threats and policy initiatives for international prevention and control of disease in the context of critical challenges such as the impact of globalization and the role of environmental changes. The main aim of the course is to enhance knowledge and understanding of current challenges in global health with a particular focus on chronic non-communicable diseases.

On successful completion of the module, participants are able to:

• Describe the burden of chronic disease
• Describe the epidemiologic transition and factors implicated in the epidemiologic transition
• Explain the practice of chronic disease surveillance and control
• Explain approaches to chronic disease prevention
• 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.
• Describe the relationships between major lifestyle risk factors and the role of early life experiences in the variation in disease occurrence.
• Describe a life-course approach in epidemiologic research.
• Describe and understand the importance of communicable disease and non-communicable diseases.
• Describe the effect of urban design on health.

Our courses are aimed at clinical researchers, nurses, general practitioners, and other health professionals who want to improve their skills in epidemiology, statistics and (clinical) research.

1 week, fulltime (face to face)

Please note that this course is part of an existing program within the Graduate School of Life Sciences.