Course Objective

1. The student can distinguish between health interventions and classify
these according to primary, secondary and tertiary type interventions
2. The student can describe the characteristics, and give examples of
successful health interventions
3. The student can mention five study designs for measuring the effect
of health interventions
4. The student can summarise the main issues in the fields of infectious
diseases and non-communicable diseases and critically review the
literature on these two topics
5. The student can design a health intervention strategy on the basis of
a case study
6. The student can design a framework for monitoring and evaluating a
health interventions on the basis of a case study
7. The student can select relevant research methods for evaluating
health interventions from an inter- (and trans)disciplinary perspective
8. The student can defend the health intervention strategy and framework
for monitoring and evaluating its effects verbally and in written form

Course Content

In this course, attention is paid to the relationship between the
analysis of complex health problems and the design, implementation and
evaluation of intervention strategies for specific health problems (in
particular the determinants of effective health interventions).

Complex health problems manifest on different, interrelated levels:
molecular, cellular, organism, population, society and global. The
advantages and disadvantages of various interventions will be discussed.
Interventions in the field of health care such as behaviour change
relevant to compliance with medication will be discussed as well as
overarching topics such as, the prioritization of scarce resources and
the responsibility of governments to ensure safe, effective, efficient
and cost-effective health services. The effect of global health
interventions on different individual-, group- and societal levels is
assessed from an economic and socio-cultural perspective, whereby
students acquire insight into how economic and socio-cultural aspects
play part in the design, implementation and feasibility of
interventions and in in different contexts. Research techniques,
including using an inter- (and trans)disciplinary approach, different
methods of evaluation, randomised controlled trials, and cohort studies,
are taught and exercised.

In the research component of the course, students work in groups to
design a case-based intervention strategy to prevent the transmission of
HIV from mother to child OR prevent peri-natal depression (linked to the
assignment in Research Methods course) as well as a framework for
monitoring and
evaluating this strategy. Each group receives feedback on different
versions of their draft reports during the supervised workgroups. At the
end of the course, students present their assignment to a panel of
global health experts and their intervention reports will be critically
assessed.

Teaching Methods

Lectures, working groups, problem-based learning, self-study

Method of Assessment

Written exam (50%), intervention report (group assignment) (30%) and a
presentation of the assignment (20%), functioning within a group
(pass/fail). All parts have to be concluded
with a grade of 5.5 or higher

Literature

Reading materials for this course include several chapters from the book
on Global Health by Merson et al (2012), selected articles and handouts
during the course. An online reader will be made available on Canvas
which indicates the required reading for each lecture.

Target Audience

First-year students MSc Global Health; compulsory course. Only open to
students of the Research Masters Global Health

Additional Information

Teun Zuiderent-Jerak, Prof. dr. P. Klatser, Prof. dr. Jacqueline Broerse
and guest lecturers