Global Health Course Descriptions

Core Courses
INTS 4367 Global Health Affairs: Theory & Practice

This course offers an entry point to the field of Global Health Affairs from a social science and
international relations perspective. The main goal of the course is to explore and apply
theoretically-grounded frameworks for understanding global health priorities, for designing local
and national health interventions, and for understanding the impact of health programs on a
range of long- and short-term outcomes. We will explore epidemiologic, economic, social
science and international relations perspectives on health determinants, intervention, and
impacts. We will explore a broad terrain of interventions, working up from the traditional disease
control approach to more recent efforts at health systems development, health security
intervention, health governance, and health trade reform. We will place equal emphasis on the
long, slow march of human mortality and the flashy world of emerging infectious disease. Most
of all each student will work individually and with the group to build and refine our own “theory
of change” for assessing and addressing health issues across a wide range of contexts. You will
express your theory of change in case study discussion and by designing a service-based research
proposal that could be carried out in the near future.

INTS 4516 Major Diseases in Global Health: From Pathophysiology to Action

As global health practitioners and policy makers, it is imperative that we each have a complete
and solid understanding of the mechanisms, physiology, epidemiology, transmission patterns,
and clinical impact of the major diseases affecting global health. How and when does a person
transition from simple HIV infection to full-blown AIDS? Why is dracunculiasis so readily
amenable to eradication whereas filariasis is not? For what populations is co-infection with HIV
and TB or HIV and malaria so critical and why? On the individual patient level, how and why do
certain diseases manifest so differently in resource-poor versus resource-rich or urban versus
rural settings? Who are the vulnerable populations and how does disease impact them
physiologically? When and where would specific program interventions work over other
programs and for whom? In this course, the student will develop an understanding of the
etiology, agents, vectors, burden, methods of detection, basic treatment complexities, and life
cycles of major diseases impacting the world. Specifically, this course will detail HIV/AIDS,
TB, malaria, maternal/reproductive health, some protozoa, helminthes and major parasites,
chronic disease such as cancers and diabetes, and violence/trauma. As there is no shortage of
amazing and interesting diseases globally, students will learn a sound method of inquiry with
which to address any disease process. Students will also apply this method directly toward
program analysis, and in the development of teaching sessions for community health workers.

Skills Courses: Two courses (8 credits)

INTS4483 Practical Applications in Global Health
The purpose of the course is for the student to be deployed to a field situation as realistically as
possible given the constraints of being in Denver. A heavy emphasis is placed on program
design, practical issues in implementation, and presentation at the field level. No prior field
experience is necessary to attend or to complete this course. This course will be available for
students to take either 6-weeks for 3 credits or 10-weeks for 5 credits. In the first 6 weeks of the
course, the student will acquire practical knowledge about the following areas of actual health
program design and management in the field: research and preparation, creation and
development, and implementation and presentation. Students will develop detailed field
perspectives, analyze the global implications of their programs, and examine their contribution to
the “science of service.” For the subsequent 4 weeks of the course, students will examine and
acquire advanced practical skills in human resources management, team building, performance
management, staff development, staff care and program management that are vital to lead and
manage effective health and development programs.

INTS4423 Health Data for Decision-making (5 credits)

Health data provide an objective basis for setting priorities, formulating policies, implementing
programs, and evaluating their impact. These measurement, analysis, and decision-making tools
derive from a diversity of disciplines including demography, epidemiology, medicine,
anthropology, and economics. This is not a statistics course or a project evaluation course.
Instead, students are encouraged to develop the following basic skills: 1) utilizing and
understanding national health indicators, their value and limitations, 2) understanding the
relationships between individual and societal measures of health, with an emphasis on
demographic adjustments; 3) understanding and reading scientific papers and reports using the
common epidemiologic research designs, and assessing their limitations. Finally, students will be
encouraged to use evidence-based approaches to translate these basic skills into argument(s) for
a particular course of action, thus moving from research to practice.

Elective Courses: Three of the following courses

Health Issues:

INTS 4422 International Health Organizations & Actors (5 credits)

The course will define the major players in international health, including the United Nations, its
mandates, and its agencies: the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children‟s
Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR). In addition, a number of non-governmental organizations, foundations (Gates
Foundation, Clinton Foundation), multinational corporations and large bilateral donor programs
(e.g., USAID) will be examined to develop a basic understanding of their perceived roles,
organizational goals and practiced, and effectiveness within the global, country-specific, and
local health systems that they operate.

INTS4362 Gender and Health (5 credits)

This course is designed to help students enhance their ability to address the social and cultural
factors that influence the design, delivery, reception, and effectiveness of international health
programs. A primary goal of the course is to familiarize students with some of the health care
policies and programs designed at the international and local level. This approach is intended to
provide the background necessary for students to be able to identify how both micro and macro
systems of power influence the design, delivery and uptake of health programs. This course will
introduce students to theories of gender and health by examining international health
inequalities. Gender is defined broadly to include a special focus on women and reproductive
health as well as men, masculinity and health. The course will cover important topics such as sex
and gender differences in health; gender and HIV/AIDS; and gender, political conflict and
health.

INTS4368 HIV/AIDS in International Affairs (5 credits)

This course is designed to provide in-depth analysis of HIV/AIDS as a global health security
threat and is for all students interested in HIV/AIDS as both an epidemiological phenomenon and
an important issue in every aspect of international affairs. Upon completion of the course,
students will understand the concept of global health security; HIV/AIDS as an epidemiological
phenomenon; the political and economic costs of HIV/AIDS; and the political, economic, and
social contexts of HIV/AIDS in specific regions of the world.

INTS4376 Cultures of Health and Healing (3 credits)

Healthcare delivery in the developing world is linked to many factors that may be particular to
the third world in general and to the particularities of the locale itself. These include general
economic and political factors. Additionally, ethic, cultural and religious factors may exercise
great influence and create overt or subtle barriers to healthcare. Gender roles can also vary in
different areas of practice. In this course, we will focus on particular areas of the world to
highlight anticipated as well as surprising cultural barriers to healthcare. We will also focus on
examples of underserved populations within the United States to highlight how these concepts
are not unique at all times to those parts of the world with the least resources.

INTS4425 Emerging Diseases in International Affairs (5 credits)

In the history of humankind, death from disease has far surpassed death from warfare. In this
class, students learn how disease has played critical and often history-altering roles in the course
of nations. Specifically, this course surveys the epidemiology of infectious diseases in
conjunction with outbreaks that have altered the affairs of nation-states. Students taking this
course will be able to 1) identify diseases which are becoming prevalent and have great potential
for adverse impacts on public health, social, political and economic systems; 2) understand
historical impacts of diseases and epidemics and potential for 21st Century epidemics and
pandemics; 3) identify means to recognize, track, treat and mitigate effects of emerging diseases;
and 4) identify potential limits and concerns in managing disease outbreaks in specific regions of
the world at the regional, national and international levels

INTS4481 Scientific and Medical Challenges in International Affairs (3 credits)

The student will acquire knowledge about the major medical and scientific challenges faced in
the area of global health. Students will learn about complexities and challenges in finding
realistic medical solutions to HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB and malnutrition as well as infectious
diseases. The course will also offer more in depth understanding of medical and scientific
solutions and challenges, looked at by global health organizations in areas like nutrition and
clean and safe water. The course also discusses international policies, regulatory obstacles and
social factors related to tackling the medical and scientific challenges faced in global health. The
intent is to develop a framework of understanding diseases from their scientific fundamentals to
clinical factors. Funding issues and organizations involved in the efforts will also be discussed.

INTS 4512 Ethics in Development, Health & Humanitarian Assistance (5 credits)

William Butler Yeats wrote, “In dreams begins responsibility.” Dreams and an imagination as to
what life could be underpin ideals of development, health and humanitarian assistance. When
one confronts the world such as it is, one need determine what s/he feels reality could become
and work to make is so. But in attempting to realize such dreams come a responsibility to act
based on a set of values or ethics. These ethics guide the perception of right and wrong, black
and white, which in turn dictate action. They may be legally codified as rules or remain
principles which operate in conjunction with, or opposition to, the law. This course is designed
to prepare students to proactively identify personal and professional values across different
actors and institutes, to assess the ethical basis of actions and programs, and to build project
management strategies based on shared values.

INTS4498 Community, Networks, and Place in Health/Development (5 credits)

The aim of this course is to explore global health challenges and solutions from the perspective
of the community. Faculty presentation, case studies, active participant exchange, and student
facilitated topical discussions will comprise the course teaching-learning strategies. A primary
goal is to provide an exploration of community health definitions, priorities, and organizing
networks as influenced by local and global driving forces to include political, social technical
and environmental factors. The unfortunate and escalating burden of war and unresolved
conflict will be examined in regard to consequences to health status and function. Lastly the skill
development of professional communication techniques designed to evoke essential health data
in a meaningful, ethical manner will be presented and rehearsed in class. Care of the care
providers will create the capstone and synthesis to the course.

INTS4535 Comparative Health Systems

Regardless of who we are, where we live, and what we believe, we are all born, we all age, and
at various points in time, we all get sick thus making health a universal concern and a universal
human right. While our concern about health may be universal, the experience of sickness and
health is not. The reality of limited human and fiscal resources for health care provision creates
a diverse landscape of choice and outcomes. Globally, nations are confronting a health care
crisis as policy makers consider trade-offs between differing paradigms of public responsibility
and resource allocation. A central concern for public policy is thus, “At what cost, health?” It is
with this in mind that we will explore dominant models of health care financing and delivery.
We will first look at the ethical, philosophical, and economic questions which underpin public
healthcare policy. We will then explore the specific models of health care financing and delivery
currently used in the United States. Next, we will compare the principles and mechanisms of
health care in the U.S. to those in the United Kingdom. We will conclude by examining
pluralistic health care (and change) in the context of resource poor nations.

Health Interactions:

INTS4435 Health and Development (5 credits)

Health and development are held to be symbiotic in the production of economic and human well-
being. However, the concept of health varies across context, institutions, geographies, and scale.
This course will focus on the meaning, measurement, financing and delivery of „health care‟ and
the interaction of human well-being with other aspects of development. This course will explore
dominant models of health and development, what assumptions inform these models, and who is
left uncounted within the development focus. Macro-level embodiment will be contrasted to the
meaning of health within a local context. The exchange between development policies and
health interventions will be explored. As the class moves between world- and local-views, we
will explore how the same illness can have many causes – from microbes to structural violence.

INTS4492 Health and Humanitarian Aid (5 credits)

The Sphere Project defines the following issues as the key sectors in humanitarian emergencies
with minimum standards set for each: Water supply, sanitation, and hygiene/environmental
health; food security, nutrition, and food aid; shelter and non-food items; health and health
services; communicable and non-communicable diseases. Drawing on this division of key
sectors, the course will be divided into modules based on each, with particular attention as to
how each of these sectors directly and indirectly impacts health.This course aims to examine
current organizational standards such as the Sphere Project, best-practice scenarios from ICRC,
IRC, MSF and many other humanitarian organizations, and lessons learned from recent and
historical humanitarian crises. Utilizing a case-based and problem-based format, students will
gain and apply knowledge through critically examination of issues and development of practical
solutions.

INTS4531 Health Issues in Response and Recovery (3 credits)

Natural disasters, terrorism and other events create not only cause immediate devastation but
long-term complications for responders, decision-makers and residents alike. How will issues of
personal health and safety, and public health and security, are addressed in a “crisis” mode?
When day-to-day operations healthcare, social and political systems are stressed, how will they
function in times of disaster? This course will examine systems, policies, and procedures in
governmental, private and other non-governmental organizations in response and recovery to
notable events. In additional to functional components of response and recovery, health care and
public health systems will be studied for conceptual and operational improvements.

INTS4465 Population and Society (5 credits)

Population can play a key role in defining the fates of societies, yet Auguste Comte's notion that
"demography is destiny" has been subject to two centuries of oversimplification,
misinterpretation, and manipulation. This course seeks to reverse key misconceptions and open
up new avenues of inquiry through an indepth look at the key elements of population --
population size and growth, demographic events, and population structure -- and their
relationship to development, security, health, the environment, and human rights. The course will
begin with a look at theories on the relationship between population and the fates of societies
from Malthus to Marx to the present day. In doing so we will move from thinking of population
change in aggregate to considering the impact of three demographic events -- birth, death, and
migration -- that occur according to highly measurable and predictable age and sex patterns.
Armed with a powerful conception of demographic change as a product of population structures
and events we will explore the implications of demographic shifts and long-term demographic
structures for national and global outcomes under a range of political, economic, and social
conditions. We will use case studies to address salient issues such as the limits to the human life
span; prospects for reversing or mitigating the effects of very low fertility; the consequences of
coercive solutions to population control; prospects for global migration; and the impact of
HIV/AIDS on society.

INTS4353 Sustainable Development and Environment (5 credits)

Environmental change, societal and economic development, communal mores and political
factors operate together and impact local, national, regional and global ecosystems. Like the
proverbial butterfly flapping its wings and causing a typhoon halfway around the world,
geographically focal movement in society, economy, etc. can resonate across national boundaries
and alter the ecosystem near and far. The question becomes, “At what cost growth?” Adherents
of ecocentric and anthropocentric ideologies find themselves at odds in terms of prioritizing and
managing development for current and future generations. Does a society develop based on
increasing consumption alone, at the loss of environment and diversity, or does it chose a more
sustainable path even though it may mean slower growth? Can such a decision be made in
isolation from global forces? This course will introduce students to a range of theories, policies
and practices relating to sustainable development. Case studies such as climate change and
disaster mitigation will be used to better highlight the variance between local and global
vulnerabilities, and capacities for achieving a sustainable future. The end goal for class is for
students to work in sectors such as agriculture, energy and water to develop and „adopt‟ best
practices for sustainable development.

INTS4953 Mental Health, Human Rights and Post-Conflict Dev. (5 credits)

This course is intended to build upon the primary areas of applied research which I have engaged
in during the past 25 years: Health/mental health, human rights/refugees, and
international/community development. The course‟s purpose is to provide graduate students
with an integrated theoretical orientation to the intersection of health/mental health and human
rights, as these “play out” in the context of international development work. In this regard, it
also is intended to contribute to JKSIS‟ Global Health Affairs program concentration. The course
is built upon three foundations, explicated through three modules that emphasize both theory and
practice. Extensive use will be made of case studies, including those derived from my own work
in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Peru, El Salvador, Bosnia, and the U.S. It should be noted that the work
of several GSIS graduates also will be featured, these to include Dean Piedmont, Rita Bolstad,
Lisa Schechtman, Sandra Sirota, and Robert Tibbetts.

INTS4983 Healthcare, Homeland Security, and Global Terrorism (5 credits)

Healthcare institutions have flourished for years in their own independent “environment of care,”
linking centuries of traditional values and training with cutting-edge technologies and mandates
for cost controls, quality performance and legal constraints. On many levels these institutions
now are being challenged to “catch up” in a new world of national security and global health
issues. What are the health care threats -- agents of bioterrorism, chemical or radiological
substance exposure, or other massive events? How do current planning efforts for emergencies
and natural disasters help us prepared for terrorism or catastrophic-scale events? How do
preparedness and security efforts in the US compare to those of other nations, and what can we
learn from attacks here and abroad? What are opportunities and constraints facing medical
professionals, and how do institutions integrate with Homeland Security directives for
“awareness, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery” in their efforts? This course will
utilize many case studies in disasters and terrorism to examine the infrastructure and operations
of health care systems, security breaches, and lessons learned from response efforts in the US
and abroad.

Advanced Methods:

INTS4552 Communications for Development/Health (5 credits)

Professional roles in health and development often require a myriad of communication skills
when working with the various stakeholders involved. This course covers approaches and
methodology required to deal with public sector players, NGO‟s, international donors and the
private sector. We will discuss the politics of wise and efficient external communications. This
course will cover the various forms of integrated marketing communications knowledge
necessary when managing programs or working collaboratively with any international
development program requiring marketing, including marketing strategy, advertising, sales
promotion, public relations, basic research methods and interpersonal communications with
various key players in international development. One student project is required by end of
quarter and we will use frequent case studies from development initiatives in Asia and Africa.
Grades will be reflected as follows: 50% class work and participation/25% class project/25%
final exam.

INTS4305 Social Marketing for Health and Development (5 credits)

This course will study the models, approaches, components and applications of Social Marketing
in the Developing World to address public health issues. Class sessions will be a combination of
lecture, group discussion, student presentation and in-class exercises. We will use case studies
from development initiatives in Asia and Africa. Reading assignments are required and will be
part of class discussion. One student project is required by end of quarter. The syllabus may be
subject to change depending on the level of skill and experience within the class. Short papers
are required for most class, in addition to reading assignments.