Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Societies of the World 24. Global Health Challenges: Complexities of Evidence-Based Policy
Sue J. Goldie (Harvard School of Public Health)
This course introduces the global health challenges posed by failure to adequately reduce infections, malnutrition, and maternal-child health problems in the most vulnerable populations, escalating rates of non-communicable diseases/injuries, and emerging health risks that cross national boundaries. We will assess social responses to these challenges at the community, national, and global levels. Through an understanding of population health measures, we will examine patterns of disease/mortality between and within countries, capture important time trends, and identify determinants of health inequalities. While emphasizing science driven policy, comparative case examples will illuminate influential systemic factors, health system performance, and the economic/social/political climate.
Societies of the World 25. Case Studies in Global Health: Biosocial Perspectives
Arthur Kleinman (Anthropology; Harvard Medical School), Paul E. Farmer (University Professor; Harvard Medical School; Harvard School of Public Health), Anne E. Becker (Harvard Medical School), and Salmaan Keshavjee (Harvard Medical School)
Examines, through lectures and case-based discussions, a collection of global health problems rooted in rapidly changing social structures that transcend national and other administrative boundaries. Students will explore case studies (addressing AIDS, tuberculosis, mental illness, and other topics) and a diverse literature (including epidemiology, anthropology, history, and clinical medicine), focusing on how a broad biosocial analysis might improve the delivery of services designed to lessen the burden of disease, especially among those living in poverty.