MPH 530.001: Global Public Health Challenges: Assignments for MPH 530.001

Thanks to Gloria Willson for creating the original version of the libguide.

I. Classroom Attendance and In-Class Participation to Discussion and Activities (25% of the final grade)
Each student will follow the rules of “good classroom discussion” that will be generated at the beginning of the semester by this class and for this class, and will actively participate to discussion and activities. A detailed grading rubric will be generated by the instructor on the basis of the good classroom discussion criteria.

II. In-class Assignment – Midterm (15% of the final grade)
This in-class assignment is a written exam consisting of 5 open ended questions. Open-ended questions means that possible answers are not suggested, so students are required to provide an in-depth response. The assignment will cover topics from session 1 to 5 (see list of topics at the end the syllabus) and will be asking students to analyze and react to a case study, including their own suggestions and ideas on future directions and potential activities to addressing the specific global health issue highlighted by the case study. Students will have 90 minutes to complete the assignment.

III. Homework Assignments (10% of the final grade)
The schedule at the end of this syllabus lists a number of required homework assignments that may consist of visiting and analyzing specific website or preparing for a specific discussion question. Completing all required readings and preparing 1-2 questions on any of the readings for in-class discussion is a standard homework assignment that applies to all sessions in this course.

IV. Advocacy Statement (15% of the final grade)
Give voice to a vulnerable population! Develop an advocacy statement, just as if you would testify at the United Nations or at a local national government – include a brief description of the population (e.g., children, elderly women, specific racial or ethnic groups, people living with a disability or in poverty, etc.) and its vulnerability and advocate for specific solutions to address the rights of such population in relation to overall health status, disease prevention, access to healthcare services or treatment, and/or to addressing a specific determinant of health (e.g., education, social or racial discrimination, socioeconomic conditions, lack of access to water, sanitation, transportation or other essential services, etc.) that may influence health outcomes in this group. Your statement needs to be convincing, based on existing and emerging research, and other literature and facts, include a global component, and suggest a potential solution and course of action. Format requirements: 350 to 500 words max – 5-7 minutes talk, a minimum of 6 references. A Q&A with fellow students will follow each advocacy statement/talk. A few resources on how to develop an advocacy statement will be posted on Blackboard and LibGuides as well as discussed in class.

V. Final Group Project – Poster - (25% of final grade for the actual poster; 15% of final grade for group
presentation)
Students will work in groups to develop a poster presentation. Groups will be formed by the instructor in alphabetical order. Students will select a VULNERABLE POPULATION GLOBALLY affected by a specific disease (option 1), or health condition, or select a DISEASE WITH GLOBAL IMPACT (option 2), or select A CASE STUDY ON A GLOBAL HEALTH INTERVENTION (option 3). Students will search, identify, and analyze existing literature and other documents to support the poster presentation. The self-standing poster should include the following information:

Option 1

• Description of the population, including demographics and risk factors determining the overall health status in this population;
• Most common or prevalent health issues in this population;
• Existing access and/or barriers to health care and treatment options for this population
• Key factors/social determinants of health contributing to the overall health status of this population
• Local and global policies regulating control and prevention of a diseases in this population;
• A discussion of local and global documents addressing the needs of this population. The discussion should suggest improvement of existing programs and interventions that aim at improving population-specific health outcomes.

OR
Option 2

• A description of the specific disease or health condition, including etiology, clinical course, treatment, recovery and  outcomes, prevention measures, and social, environmental, and individual factors contributing to disease incidence and  prevalence in different populations
• Information on populations that are most affected by this disease or health condition globally;
• Local and global policies and laws that regulated the prevention, treatment and control of the disease and/or address specific determinants of health that contribute to disease outcomes among different groups
• A discussion on the importance of global documents, laws and regulations that are related to disease control and  prevention (as specific to the select disease or health condition), including your suggestions for policy improvements in this area

OR
Option 3

• Research and analyze a global health intervention in one of the following areas: health disparities/health equity; immunization; maternal and child health; epidemics and emerging diseases/communicable diseases; non-communicable diseases/chronic diseases; complex humanitarian emergencies; global health worker migration
• Include the intervention goals and objectives, strategies, activities, lessons learned, evaluation data, and future directions (including your own suggestions for improvements and future strategies)

Poster Format: 24X36 poster size in black and white or color (preferred). Students who participate in this course agree that they will share printing costs for their group posters with fellow students in their group. Posters can be printed at any location/service of students’ choice. Please plan in advance and inform yourself of estimated time for printing at the location/service of your choice, so you can allow enough time for printing. Use at least 5-6 references to support the poster. List references on the poster. A detailed poster template will be posted on Blackboard.

Poster Presentation: There will be a 15-20 minute presentation per poster in class on one of two days listed in the syllabus followed by discussion. Each student will receive a group grade for the oral part of the presentation. Be prepared to answer questions during your presentation, to discuss your topic.