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EPID829 – Foundations in Global Health
Course Information
Time and Location
Mondays 1:30-4:30
January 5 – March 30, 2015
Location: Carruthers Hall, 3rd Floor classroom
Instructor
Dr. Colleen M. Davison
Carruthers Hall Office #203
Open office hours: Wednesdays 11-1. Other times by appointment.
Telephone. 613-533-6000 x 79518
Email: davisonc@queensu.ca
Course Prerequisites
This is an elective course available first to Master of Public Health students, there is no formal
prerequisite. If spaces are available, the course may be of interest to students in other graduate
programs including students in Kinesiology and Health Studies, Global Development Studies, Policy
Studies, Epidemiology, Nursing, Rehabilitation Sciences among others.
Description
This course is a critical examination of Foundations in Global Health. Global health is the area of
study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in
health for all people worldwide- this is abroad as well as locally. Four global health foundations will
be explored (Figure 1): (1) the conceptual foundation (definitions, underpinning principles and
values); (2) the organizational foundation (global health actors and key organizations and
structures involved); (3) the measurement and research foundation (measurement of the global
health burden, monitoring and evaluation, global health research), and (4) the intervention
foundation (implementation science, global health intervention development and understanding
successful solutions).
Conceptual Foundation
Organizational Foundation
Foundations in
Global Health
Measurement and Research
Foundation
Intervention Foundation
Figure 1: Course Foundational Schematic
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Each week the course will begin with a discussion of current global health issues and professional
actors and organizations that the students have seen portrayed in the media. This is done through
the following of a course specific Twitter Feed to which the students contribute. An emphasis in this
aspect of the course will be understanding the potential employment opportunities in the field of
global health.
In addition to becoming oriented to global health concepts, terminology, actors and initiatives,
more generally throughout the course, students will develop global health competencies including
an understanding of: global health ethics, stakeholder mapping and engagement, development of
evidence-briefs, global health program development and the quantification and reporting of global
health burden. Students will be exposed to examples of global health initiatives in areas such as
maternal and child health, environmental health, infectious disease, globalization and health,
Indigenous peoples health, health impact assessment, and health systems strengthening. Students
will be asked to think critically about why specific global health initiatives and organizations exist,
how they function and the impacts they are having on health and health equity globally. In addition,
students will engage in an "action project" to gain an experiential understanding of global health
and development.
Objectives
By the end of this course the students will be able to:
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Define “health” and “global health” and describe health determinants;
Describe the links between health and development;
Identify key actors and stakeholders in global health;
Describe at least three ways in which health and ill-health are measured and reported
globally;
Discuss specific health and development topic areas including, for instance, maternal and
child health, environmental health, Indigenous peoples health, health systems
strengthening, globalization and health;
Define and describe “knowledge to action for global health”;
Write an effective evidence-brief;
Access good quality resources pertaining to health and development;
Describe some examples of innovations in health and development that have future
implications for global health;
Discuss options for working in the field of global health and development and critically
assess these options.
Texts & Materials
The course reader will be available for download and will include weekly workbook activities as
well as readings. The course is supported by a moodle platform which will include links to readings,
and supplemental audio-visual and textual material.
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Assessment
Evidence Brief
Stakeholder Map and Plan for a Deliberative Process
Infographic
Action project - Written report and critical assessment
In-class participation
Twitter Participation
Exam
15%
15%
15%
20%
5%
5%
25%
Evidence Brief (15%)
This assignment is completed within the conceptual foundation of the course. An evidence
brief is a short document (usually no more than 1500 words or about 4 pages) that presents a
summary of evidence/existing knowledge related to a specific topic or issue for a specific audienceusually those who make decisions. Briefs can be for advocacy (where you support a particular
recommendation) or for information (where you might present different options). Students will
work on this individually and will have freedom to choose a topic of interest. Further guidance,
examples, marking rubrics and other details will be made available in class.
Stakeholder Map and Plan for a Deliberative Process (15%)
This assignment is completed within the organizational foundation of the course. A key skill
in effective global health work is to be able to identify and connect with the myriad of stakeholders
associated with a particular topic or issue. After learning about deliberative processes and a specific
technique called “situational assessment and stakeholder mapping” students will choose a specific
global health problem or issue and create a stakeholder map. Students will then describe a
deliberative process that could be undertaken to engage these stakeholders in discussions that
could possibly lead to actions to improve the problem or concern. Further information about the
evaluation and expectations will be given in class.
Info-graphic (15%)
This assignment is completed in the measurement and research foundation of the course. An
Info-graphic is a concise and compelling summary of information, usually in poster format. For this
assignment each student will create an info-graphic that summarizes the results of a peer-reviewed
global health research paper of their choice. Selections can be discussed with the instructor. Further
details and a marking rubric will be provided in class.
Action Project
The final project aligns with the intervention foundation of the course. All students will work
alone or in small groups (of no more than four) to undertake some form of action project in global
health. Actions may include things in which the student is already involved, or something new. The
purpose of this assignment is to think through the different “actions” that could be undertaken to
make improvements to global health equity. Individuals or groups will present their action to the
class in a 3-5-minute oral overview and each individual student will also submit a written report
and critical assessment of the activity. Actions can include, for example:
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December 2, 2014 - © CM Davison
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engaging in some form of advocacy or awareness raising for global health issues (writing a
commentary or opinion editorial, responding to a journal article, writing and delivering an
evidence brief (different from the one you used for your first assignment), mounting a letter
writing campaign, hosting a rally etc.)
-
engaging in fund raising for global health issues (holding an event to raise funds for a
particular cause or concern, volunteering in a fund raising campaign etc.)
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becoming involved in the work of a global health and development agency or organization
(volunteering to help with a global health related ngo, actively participating in an event or
program held by a global health agency, joining and participating in a global health related
committee etc.)
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or another action that you might think of related to global health and development.
Significant guidance will be given. By week 3 of the course students are asked to identify via moodle
any group members and proposed idea. The instructor will confirm that it is appropriate to go
ahead.
Written Report and Critical Assessment (20%)
While the action projects themselves are important, the main purpose of the assignment is the
critical assessment of the impact of the action. In the critical assessment students will submit an
individual written report of no more than 10 pages (1.5 spacing) that:

Describes the action that was undertaken including background on the issues and
organizations involved. Who was the audience? What were the goals? 5 points.

Provides a list of realistic and potential short-, medium- and long-term impacts of the
specific actions. In this assessment, students should define what they mean by short,
medium and long term. A table or chart could be used. Students should clearly articulate
how they define “impact” (e.g. would it be changes in actions- by whom, in what ways, how
would you measure these changes?; would it be changes in outcomes – among whom, what
kinds of outcomes, how might you measure these outcomes?; would it be changes in
infrastructure (physical infrastructure, institutions, policy?); would it be the emergence of
new knowledge, events, or innovations? The impact framework can be defined by each
student and should be explained and articulate using cited resources to strengthen the
choice and main points. 5 points.

Includes a discussion of the action project in a broader context. This means that students
should state what kind of action they undertook (advocacy, fundraising, specific projects,
awareness raising etc) and then reflect on how impactful this type of action or approach
might be in global health and development more broadly. Examples and evidence should be
used to support any claims. 5 points.

Finally, students should reflect on what approaches to action to address global health and
development might be more effective, or how the specific kind of action they undertook
could be optimized. 5 points.
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The final critical analysis report should be no more than 10 pages, double-spaced, 2.5cm margins,
using 12-point font excluding the title page and references. They should be submitted via moodle.
In-Class Participation (5%)
All students will expected to be active class participants. A participation rubric will be presented
during the first class, participation will be marked by the instructor.
Twitter Feed Participation (5%)
All students will expected to be active class participants. A participation rubric will be presented
during the first class, participation will be marked in a combined peer- and instructor-assessment
format that will be described during the first class.
Final Exam (25%)
The final exam for the course will consist of a series of definitions and three short essays from a
bank of questions that will be provided in class.
Course Policies
Accommodations
Students with physical and learning disabilities must contact the instructor in order for
accommodations and/or modifications for course expectations to be made where necessary.
Attendance
It is expected that students will be present for all classes, however, it is understood that this might
not always be possible given illness or other unforeseen circumstance. If a session is missed, it is up
to the student to gather and understand the missed information in time for the next session.
Lateness
Please be respectful of the instructor, TA and guests and arrive on time at the beginning of each
session and tutorial. Please also return promptly from any break. A late student is asked to join the
class with as little disruption as possible.
Assignments must be handed in on time. Late assignments will be deducted 2% of the overall mark
per day late. Extensions will not be granted unless with due cause, under the discretion of the
instructor.
Cell Phones and Laptops
Students must silence their cell phones while in class. Talking or texting while in a session is not
permitted. Laptop computers are allowed but the instructor asks that students respect that they
should be used to support learning, not for other purposes during class. Students who breach these
policies will be spoken to by the instructor.
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Food and Drink
Students are permitted to eat/drink in class but please be respectful of your fellow students and
instructors while doing so. Each session will include a 10-minute break.
Copyright
All the material on the moodle site and presented during the lectures and tutorials is copyrighted
and is for the sole use of students registered in EPID829. The material on this site may be
downloaded for a registered student’s personal use, but shall not be distributed or disseminated to
anyone other than students registered in EPID829. Failure to abide by these conditions is a breach
of copyright, and may also constitute a breach of academic integrity under the University Senate’s
Academic Integrity Policy Statement.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is constituted by the five core fundamental values of honesty, trust, fairness,
respect and responsibility (see www.academicintegrity.org). These values are central to the
building, nurturing and sustaining of an academic community in which all members of the
community will thrive. Adherence to the values expressed through academic integrity forms a
foundation for the “freedom of inquiry and exchange of ideas” essential to the intellectual life of the
University (see the Senate Report on Principles and Priorities).
Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the regulations concerning academic
integrity and for ensuring that their assignments conform to the principles of academic integrity.
Information on academic integrity is available in the Arts and Science Calendar (see Academic
Regulation 1), on the Arts and Science website (see
http://www.queensu.ca/artsci/sites/default/files/Academic_Regulations.pdf ), and from the
instructor of this course.
Departures from academic integrity include plagiarism, use of unauthorized materials, facilitation,
forgery and falsification, and are antithetical to the development of an academic community at
Queen’s. Given the seriousness of these matters, actions which contravene the regulation on
academic integrity carry sanctions that can range from a warning or the loss of grades on an
assignment to the failure of a course to a requirement to withdraw from the university
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Draft Course Schedule
Date
Topic
Foundation
Week 1January 5.
Week 2 –
January 12.
Week 3 –
January 19.
Week 4 –
January 26
Week 5 February 2
Week 6 February 9
Week 7 –
February 16
Week 8 –
February 23
Part 1: Introduction and overview of the course.
Part 2: Perspectives – What is health, health equity and global health?
Part 1: What determines health?
Part 2: Determinants of Health Board Game with debrief activity.
Part 1: Introduction to development (Guest – Dr. Mark Hostetler).
Part 2: How and why construct effective evidence-briefs and info-graphics.
Part 1: Global health actors and governance.
Part 2: What is stakeholder mapping, situational assessment or a deliberative dialogue?
Part 1: Health systems strengthening.
Part 2: Guest lecturer (sample project)
Part 1: Burden of health and ill-health globally- mortality statistics.
Part 2: The Millennium Development Goals and post 2015 agenda setting.
Spring Break – NO CLASS.
Conceptual
Part 1: Other measurement methods (DALYs, morbidity, HALE, systems-level variables,
financial costs)
Part 2: Logic models, project management frameworks, monitoring and evaluation in global
health projects. (Guest - Djenana Jalovcic).
Part 1: Introduction to the field of global environmental health, EIA, SIA and HIA.
Part 2: Health Impact Assessment.
Part 1 & 2: Implementation Science with an overview of intervention research in Tanzania.
(Guest - Dr. Karen Yeates).
Part 1 & 2: Indigenous peoples health.
Measurement and
Research
Part 1: Global health and development interventions, 10 global public health successes from the
past century.
Part 2: Presentation of action projects.
FINAL EXAM
Interventional
Week 9 –
March 2
Week 10 –
March 9
Week 11 –
March 16
Week 12 –
March 23
Week 13 –
March 30
Conceptual
Conceptual/
Organizational
Organizational
Organizational
Measurement and
Research
Measurement and
Research
Interventional
Interventional
All.
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