The 2017 Universitas 21 Health Sciences Summer School will be hosted by the University of Johannesburg on 16-28 July 2017 on the topic of "Global Health and the Social Determinants of Health".
Overview
The central theme of this summer school is "Global Health and the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)". The program is designed to be an interactive two-week program. The program will aim to educate the participants about the SDoH and how these link to health planning, service delivery and outcomes. Each participant will therefore have an opportunity to actively engage with other participants and facilitators while gaining an understanding of the impact of the SDoH within their discipline and in health as a whole. Interdisciplinary discussions and interaction will be the key feature of the program.
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, it will be suitable for any students from the Health Sciences, Nursing and Medicine domains. The program will cover the following topics:
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The SDoH, development and rational
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Global perspectives on SDoH.
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Burden of disease in developing regions such as South Africa, and comparative analysis and discussion related to participants origin.
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Health Economics in developed and developing regions, and planning for health outcomes.
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Public and private health care systems.
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Health promotion and preventative strategies.
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Effects of global warming, climate change and environment on health.
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Teamwork in health care service delivery.
The program will also link with the Sustainable Development Goals. The program has been specifically designed to link formal presentations by subject experts with a number of field trips and tours in and around Johannesburg. Each outing has been specifically crafted to allow the participants to experience first-hand real world examples of the impact that society, economics and environment have on health. Furthermore, the program also focuses on the importance of teamwork and collaboration in health care with facilitated group discussions and tasks that allow for sharing of knowledge, expertise and experiences from the various home countries, regions and institutions. This will include simulated interdisciplinary activities.
For more on SDoH click here to review the article.
Focus
The course will be suitable to all health sciences disciplines covering promotive, preventative, curative and rehabilitative outcomes. The main objectives of the summer school are the following:
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Strategic alignment of SDoH and health equity in global health;
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Sharing of evidence and practices in working across disciplines and health impacts;
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Disciplinary role in health education and promotion, while emphasizing the importance of preventative strategies; and
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Enhancing interdisciplinary health care delivery.
Learning Outcomes
The above objectives will be operationalized through the learning outcomes outlined below. At the completion of this two weeks program, the student will be competent to:
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Demonstrate the understanding of the SDoH in relation to own country and profession;
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Plan and develop strategic alignment of SDoH and health equity to own discipline with alignment to (due consideration of) global health issues;
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Demonstrate sharing of evidence and practices in working across disciplines and health impacts;
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Evaluate the disciplinary role in health education and promotion, and argue for the importance of preventive strategies;
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Demonstrate the application of the interdisciplinary health care delivery principles.
Certification
On successful completion, each participant will be given a certificate of attendance that will include the total notional hours that were completed by attending this summer school. This certificate will also indicate the topical curriculum areas covered during the course and will enable participants to request credit at their own institutions, where applicable. In addition, the students will complete a portfolio during the course which can be used as evidence for work covered.
Areas participants will be exposed to
In order to enhance the service-learning experience for the participant, both private and public health care partners will be used during the course. These partners manage primary, secondary and tertiary health care services. Participants will have the opportunity to experience the following:
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Visits to private and public health care facilities;
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Meeting with communities;
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Cultural and historical sites; and
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A tour to the UJ Island which will include role plays, interdisciplinary activities and a South African traditional social event (called a braai).
All of the above will be included within the two weeks program and the participants will also have free time to explore the city.
How to apply
Students interested in participating in the U21 HS Summer School 2017 should complete the application form and return it to Lisa Molloy (International Programme Manager) by emailing lisa.molloy@ucd.ie or by delivering it to Room B103, Health Science Center.
Applications must be received by Thursday 9th of March, 2017.