GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH
10-832-440
Fall 2013
Location:
Instructor: eCollege Course Site
Elizabeth Amaya-Fernandez, MPH
Health Education Specialist
Credits:
Health Outreach, Promotion and Education
3 credits, and additional 1 credit for Alternative Spring Break
Instructor’s Contact Information:
8 Lafayette Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-932-1965
E-mail: eamayafe@echo.rutgers.edu
Office hours by appointment on Wednesday and Thursday 12:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m. – via e-college chat, Skype, phone, or in-person
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK/READING
Global Health 101 by Richard Skolnik, MPA; ISBN-13: 9780763734213
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder; ISBN: 0812980557
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas
D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn; ISBN: 9780307267146
Additional required readings, video, and lecture materials will be posted on the course eCollege site.
COURSE OBJECTIVE
At the end of this course students will be able to:
1. Identify, understand, and incorporate the global health vocabulary, the basic methods used to assess global health, and the tools to locate and understand additional global health information.
2. Understand the wide range of global public health issues and the various approaches nations adopt to deal with them.
3. Identify the public health problems facing low- and middle-income countries today, and identify their greatest challenges
4. Demonstrate knowledge of population groups that are at increased risk of poor health and familiarity with policies and programs designed to reduce health inequalities.
“charity, vertical, humiliates. solidarity, horizontal, helps.” – Eduardo Galeano

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Student responsibilities include:

Completion of assignments and readings

Active participation in online discussions.

Communication in timely manner regarding any concerns/difficulties related to the course

Frequent and regular visits to the course eCollege site at http://eCollege.rutgers.edu.
Instructor responsibilities include:

Respect for students as co-learners in course

Adapting the course framework to needs, interests and concerns of students

Availability by appointment for meetings with students; availability by phone and e-mail

Maintaining the eCollege course website to accurately reflect the requirements of the course eCollege
This class utilizes eCollege to manage the course, its assignments, requirements, announcements, and readings. All students are REQUIRED to log into eCollege in order to access these functions from the beginning of the course until the end. Important updates, announcements and other useful information will be posted to the eCollege site on a regular basis. All written assignments are to be submitted through eCollege as a word document.
There are no late submissions.
Tips for Online Learning
Organize your online learning time...
Online courses and distance education oftentimes require more organization from participants than in-person courses. Since this type of online course does not require you to show up at a designated location, at a specific time, each week, you are expected to set your own schedule for when you will engage with the course materials and contribute to the discussions.
I recommend committing at least 30-45 minutes per day, throughout the week, to log in to the course website to complete the assignments and participate in discussions and activities.
That 30-45 minutes should be planned and blocked off during the day, just as you would for an in-person course.
If you don't plan specific times to engage with the course on a daily and weekly basis you run the risk of falling behind and being unable to meet the course requirements.
Plan for internet access...
All of the course materials are available online, much of which comes in the form of online video. These videos require a good, reliable, internet connection. So, when you do access the course, particularly when you are going through the online materials and watching the videos, be sure to be in a place with good internet access.
Participate with purpose...

The benefit of this online course, and its ability to host learners from across the globe, lies in the contributions, perspectives, and experiences shared through your participation, particularly in the forum discussions.
ASSIGNMENTS
The course will be a process in which the goal is to stimulate your thinking through readings, experiential exercises and through the interchange of ideas.
 READINGS – Readings will be available in the weekly lecture navigation bar AND the
“Doc Sharing” tab. Supplemental readings posted on eCollege will also be required for certain topics.

DISCUSSION THREAD - Each week, as you go through the week’s materials, you will encounter a series of questions based off the readings and videos. Each question has its own dedicated forum around which you can engage in conversation with other participants. You are required to choose at least two questions each week which are of greatest interest and importance to you. You are then required to participate in the forum conversations that are based around those questions .
Participation requires not only posting your response to the initial question, but also asking questions of and responding to other participants in the conversation.
The discussion threads are GRADED items and will appear in your "Gradebook" after each lecture is completed. Each lecture will have one or more discussion threads labeled on your sidebar. The topics will be related to the weekly lecture. You are responsible for participating in at least two discussions. It may seem overwhelming but once you are prepared, participating in these open discussions will become fairly simple and enjoyable. You will have one week to participate, do not wait until the last day of the week to join in the discussion, it will result in a loss of points because it will not allow you to engage with other students in an actual discussion.

POLICY BRIEF
–
write a policy brief about a global health issue that is of interest to you addressed to the World Health Organization. The Brief should be no more than 3 pages double spaced, including references. Please visit the Student Resources section on the Global Health 101 accompanying website for model policy briefs: http://www.jbpub.com/essentialpublichealth/skolnik/2e/sample.aspx
The brief must be spell-checked and edited for correct grammar and syntax. Points will be deducted for poor spelling, grammar and syntax.

QUIZZES – There will be a weekly quiz that will cover the assigned materials for that week. Quizzes will open every Monday and will close on Sunday at 11:59 p.m.
Carefully read any instructions that are provided before beginning a quiz.
ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK – Health Experience in Nicaragua
Students will have the option of traveling with me and other Rutgers staff and faculty to
Managua, Nicaragua for a week during spring break. Students will be responsible for the travel costs, which will be approximately $1,600
USD (last year’s cost, subject to change).
The cost of the trip will include travel, lodging, most meals, and transportation while in
Nicaragua. Students will have the opportunity to meet with health professionals and students in the country. Anticipated visits will include: Ministry of Health, local and rural health clinics,

hospitals, USAID, International NGOs, and with the National University of Nicaragua.
Students will earn one credit. A final presentation for the Rutgers community will be required prior to the end of the semester. Applications will be posted in October.
GRADING PHILOSOPHY & OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Your grades are assigned following the Grading Philosophy of the Edward J. Bloustein
School of Planning & Public Policy.
A Excellent, shows initiative, synthesizes and integrates assigned material with external sources and own thinking; 92-100%
B+ Very good work, innovative thinking or excellent integration of work of others, 88-91%
B Exceeds minimum requirements, either shows own thinking or synthesizes and integrates assigned material with external sources; 81 - 87%
C+ Good understanding of assigned material, but no effort to integrate own thinking or that of others; 78 - 80%
C Average work that meets the minimum requirements but does not show consistent understanding of material, poor quality; 70-77%
D Meets minimum requirements but does not show understanding of material, poor quality;
60-69%
F Unacceptable, does not meet minimum requirements; 0-59%
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
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Students requiring accommodation due to a disability (learning, physical, emotional) must present proper documentation at the beginning of the semester.

If issues arise that impact your class attendance or work or if you have a grade dispute, you must make an appointment to speak with the instructor in person or over the phone during office hours. These issues will not be discussed or resolved via e-mail.
http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/files/documents/AI_Policy_9_01_2011.pdf
GRADING
Everyone has the opportunity to build his/her grade. Each assignment has a designated number of points. The number of points awarded for each assignment depends upon whether or not the requirements of the assignment are met. Note that issues such as spelling, grammar and syntax are important and points will be deducted for poor spelling, grammar and syntax on all written work. Points will be deducted for late assignments.
POINT BREAKDOWN:
POINTS ITEM
Discussion Thread
Policy Brief
150
100
Quizzes
Midterm Exam
100
100

Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Final Exam
TOTAL POINTS
150
600
COURSE SYLLABUS
Week/Date
Week 1
Topic
Begins
September 4th
Week 2
Introductions, syllabus & course review, expectations
Begins
September 9th
Reading
Fundamentals of Global Health Skolnick: Chapters 1 and 2
Week 3
Globalization; Health,
Education, Poverty &
Economics
Skolnick: Chapter 3 eCollege: Mills, “Globalization &
Inequality”
Week 4
Week 5 & 6
Culture and Health Skolnick: Chapter 6 eCollege: Wright “The
Politicization of Culture”
Ethical and Human Rights
Concerns in Global Health;
Health Systems
Skolnick: Chapters 4 and 5 eCollege: The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights;
World’s Stateless People,
Chapman “The Social
Determinants of Health, Health
Equity, and Human R ights”
Nutrition and Global Health; The
Environment and Health
Skolnick: Chapter 7 and 8 eCollege: Strategies for
Improving Nutrition of Children
Loyd, “Microscopic Insurgents”
“Why Environmentalists Oppose
War and Militarism”
Kahn “Avenging Angel”
Half the Sky
Week 10
Midterm Exam
Women’s Health
Children’s Health
Skolnick: Chapter 9 eCollege: W.H.O. Social
Determinants of Health “Chapter
13 Gender Equity 145153”
Skolnick: Chapter 10 eCollege : State of the World’s

Week 11 & 12
Communicable and Non-
Communicable Diseases
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Unintentional Injuries; Natural
Disasters and Complex
Humanitarian Emergencies
Improving Global Health
Review for Final Exam
FINAL EXAM will be available
December 8 – 13.
Children; Youth and Unsafe
Abortion
Skolnick: Chapter 11-12 eCollege: Gonorrhea Treatment
Guidelines; Haiti Cholera
Outbreak
Skolnick: Chapters 13-14 eCollege: Global Burden of
Unintentional Injuries; UNHCR website: Current Emergencies
Mountains Beyond Mountains
Skolnick: Chapter 15-16