This module is not currently running in 2022 to 2023.
This module examines provision of and access to health care, and spread/ containment of disease, in complex humanitarian situations and disasters, as well as examining relevant politics and political trends, at international, national and local levels. Such complex situations may include, but not be limited to, natural disasters (such as floods, earthquakes, droughts and, broadly, climate change); conflict and violence (including civil wars, unrest, mass riots etc); refugee flows and reception, including refugee camps, formal and informal, but could also include extreme poverty, inequality and inadequate infrastructure. The module takes a Global view of these issues and is not limited to consideration of the Global South.
The module will examine governance and coordination of health care and disease in such situations, examining (challenges to) provision of care, both mental and physical, and containment of disease. It will also examine to what extent these situations themselves do or do not exacerbate illness, yet may be fertile ground for innovative home-grown approaches to addressing illness, health and disease. How can policies curtail the former and support the latter? To what extent can those who intervene in an emergency exacerbate the situation or violate professional ethics? UN peacekeeper involvement in the 2010-17 cholera epidemic in Haiti is one such case, while sexual misconduct by NGO or international organisation staff might be another; these or similar cases will be used to discuss ethics and professional standards.
While the cholera outbreak in Haiti may constitute a relevant case through which to explore the interaction of national (Haitian) and international (UN) governance, other epidemics may instead be seen as the interaction of natural disease and the nature of outbreak of disease.
The module will address both physical and mental health and health care in humanitarian disasters, focusing on those which are particularly relevant from a development studies, conflict studies or migration studies perspective. Students will, in examining policies affecting health and health care in emergencies, explore the inter-related and cyclical nature of, for instance, poverty/ inequality and health; violence/ conflict and health; migration/ flight and health. Case studies will be used to address policy and resolution (or not) of these challenges.
Total contact hours: 24
Total private study hours: 176
Total of 200 hours.
1. 1500-word policy analysis (20%)
2. 3500-word research essay (80%)
Reassessment methods: 100% coursework (5000-word essay)
Reading list (Indicative list, current at time of publication. Reading lists will be published annually)
Adhikari, B., Mishra, S.R., Marahatta, S.B., Kaehler, N., Paudel, K., Adhikari, J. and Raut, S., 2017. Earthquakes, fuel crisis, power outages, and health Care in Nepal: implications for the future. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 11(5), pp.625-632.
Avogo, W.A. and Agadjanian, V., 2010. Forced migration and child health and mortality in Angola. Social Science & Medicine, 70(1), pp.53-60.
Gostin, L.O., 2007. Meeting the survival needs of the world's least healthy people: a proposed model for global health governance. Jama, 298(2), pp.225-228.
Harman, S. and Wenham, C., 2018. Governing Ebola: between global health and medical humanitarianism. Globalizations, 15(3), pp.362-376.
Howell, E., Waidmann, T., Holla, N., Birdsall, N. and Jiang, K., 2018. The Impact of Civil Conflict on Child Malnutrition and Mortality, Nigeria
Rushton, S., 2011. Global health security: security for whom? Security from what? Political Studies, 59(4), pp.779-796.
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes. On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the politics and policies that are relevant to health/ disease and provision of health care in emergency situations, in a multi-disciplinary way;
2. Evaluate critically political and structural challenges to health care provision and access to health care, physical and mental, in a wide variety of settings linked to complex emergencies;
3. Critically evaluate the impact of international actors in a variety of emergency situations;
4. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the interaction of factors such as poverty and income inequality, governmental corruption and underdeveloped or insecure infrastructure on provision of and access to health care, as well as the spread, or containment, of disease;
5. Apply established principles and theoretical approaches to governance of new and emerging health challenges and disease.
The intended generic learning outcomes. On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1. Conduct effective in-depth, independent research into a particular problem,including exptrapolating from potentially incomplete data, clearly communicating conclusions in writing;
2. Synthesize and analyse disparate material in an original and self-directed manner;
3. Apply theoretical concepts to case studies, displaying an advanced conceptual understanding;
4. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of relevant techniques, which may include interdisciplinarity;
5. Think clearly about reading material and discussion, develop logical arguments and communicate these clearly;
6. Have exercised initiative and personal responsibility in managing their time and demonstrated independent learning ability.
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