Flowers School of Global Health Sciences

This is an introductory course intended to introduce students to the multi-disciplinary aspects of public health. The course will provide a history of public health, an introduction to the core principles and competencies of public health, ethical and legal basis of public health, implementing, monitoring and assessing and carrying out health promotion education and wellness. Upon completing the course, students are expected to broad understanding and skills to engage in health promotion and advocacy.

Course Topics

• Introduction to Public Health
• History of Public Health vs. Populations Health
• Public Health Principles and Approaches
• Core Competencies of Public Health
• Public Health Ethics
• Legal Foundation & Governance of Public Health
• Epidemiology, Bio-Stats and Interpretation of Data
• Public Health Intervention/Programs: Implementation & Assessment
• Surveillance and Monitoring in Public Health
• Infectious and Chronic Diseases
• Outbreaks, Epidemics and Pandemics
• Health Promotion, Education and Wellness
• Global/International Health

This is an introductory course where students are given the opportunity to understand basic concepts, principles and reasoning in biostatistics. It provides a survey of data and data types. Specific topics include tools for describing central tendency and variability in data; methods for performing inference on population means and proportions via sample data; statistical hypothesis testing and its application to group comparisons; issues of power and sample size in study designs; and random sample and other study types. While there are some formulae and computational elements to the course, the emphasis is on interpretation and concepts.

Course Topics

• Introduction.
• Describing Data and Theoretical Distributions.
• Cause and Effect in Public Health Research
• Sampling Variability, Confidence Intervals, and p-values for Means and Differences in Means
• Introduction Hypothesis Testing
• Introduction to Probability & Permutations
• Presentation of Data
• Measures of Association
• Statistical Inferences
• Meta-Analysis
• Systematic Review
• Confounding and Bias

The International Commercial Terms or 'Incoterms' are the defined set of commercial terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Incoterms are widely used in international transactions; intended primarily to clearly communicate the tasks, costs, and risks associated with the transportation and delivery of goods.

The Incoterms rules are globally accepted by governments, legal authorities, and practitioners for the interpretation of most commonly used terms.

Course Topics

• Women’s Health Concepts, Theories and Social Construct
• Male Patriarchy, Dominance and Power
• Feminism, Social Justice and Advocacy
• Gender, Sexuality and Health
• Medicalization of Women and Girls’ Reproductive Health – Local and International Perspectives
• Adolescences Reproductive Health and Maturity: (Boy and girls)
• Womanhood: Menstruation, Contraception, Abortion, Infertility, Menopause, and Aging
• Maternal Health: Child Birth, Prenatal Care, Ante-natal Care (including post-partum depression)
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections
• Socio-cultural Practices: Female Genital Cutting, Foot-binding, Stoning, and Veiling
• Harassment in the Work Place & Domestic Violence
• Genetics, Technology and Women’s Health Development
• Women’s Reproductive Health Education, Promotion and Research

National governments pride themselves on setting excellent immigration laws that are both welcoming to visitors/tourist yet closed to “illegal migrants”. As 75% of the world continues to suffer social, economic, political, and environmental mishap, the borders of advanced countries appear to be awash with immigrants in search of “greener pastures”. To keep up with the flow in the face of national security and threats, national governments are constantly charged with implementing effective laws and policies. How effective are these laws and policies and to what extent they affect migrants social, economically and physical are the central focus of this course. The course will draw on examples of international cases.

Course Topics

• Introduction: Migration Trends and Patterns – Global Perspective.
• History of Migration and Health in Canada.
• Migration Law: Concepts, Theories and Evidence (e.g., the Healthy Immigrant Effect).
• Overview of Migration Legislation in Canada.
• The Canadian Constitution and Other Regulatory Bodies.
• Origin of the Immigration and Refugee Law in Canada
• Immigrants and the Court System: Immigration and Refugee Board.
• Migrants, Terrorism and National Security.
• Health Status of Migrants (refugees, stateless persons, undocumented, smuggled and trafficked person).
• Health Care and Services for Migrants.
• Social Services (housing, education, employment) for Migrants.
• Migration Health Law & Policy Research, Evaluation and Surveillance.

As the gap in health between rich and poor countries become wider, compounded by the phenomenon of globalization resulting in complex socio-economic and political interdependence; no doubt that the need for global health with respect to creating well-coordinated international public law systems that impact health is crucial. Lawrence Gostin defines global health law as “a field that encompasses the legal norms, processes, and institutions needed to create the conditions for people throughout the world to attain the highest possible level of physical and mental health”. The field seeks to facilitate health-promoting behaviour among the key actors that significantly influence the public’s health, including international organizations, governments, businesses, foundations, the media, and civil society.”

With this in mind, the aim of this course is to examine several social and legal determinants of global health; investigate challenges associated with its governance; and explore the metamorphic nature of health hazards across borders so as to promote creative solutions for improving global health and reducing health inequalities.

Course Topics

• International Public Health Organizations and Law Making
• Global Health Governance and Management
• Human Resource and Economic Development
• Ethical Issues: Clinical Trials and Health Related Studies
• Comparative Health Systems and Governance
• Complex Emergency, Negotiations, and Management
• Environmental Health and Migrating Populations
• Nutrition, Food and Drug Policy/Law in Global Health
• Mental Health Law, Policies and Challenges
• Global Burden of Communicable and Infectious Diseases
• Population of Concern: Women, Children, People with Disability etc.
• Cross-cultural Communication, Politics and Strategic Plans
• Policy Research, Trade and IP Rights.

Health as a human right, though an old phenomenon incorporated in many legal instruments and cases, has never really been the preferred approach taken by States and international institutions to ensure citizens acquire the highest attainable standard of health. This course is designed to discuss normative concepts of the right to health as a human right by studying various linkages between health, law and other social factors. The course will critically analyze the emerging trends with respect to the role and challenges of international organizations, states and citizens in their efforts to mainstream health and human rights policies.

Course Topics

• Introduction: Historical Background
• Overview of International Law: Health Related Aspects
• Health and Human Rights International and Regional Institutions
• Human Right and Public Health
• Courts and Right to Health
• Essential Medicines (IP) & Right to Health
• Right to Health and Migration
• Chronic Diseases and Right to Health
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights
• Research, Bioethics and Human Rights
• Human Development, Advocacy and Human Rights
• Health Policy, Regulations and Laws

During conflicts, be it man-made or nature, regular health system of a country/community breaks down completely. Amidst chaos, how does the international community and locals struggle? How do they collaborate and combine forces to deliver effective health care to masses on the move? The aim of this course is to highlight the complexities of delivering effective health care and programs is an environment where social, political and legal structures are non-existent. By the end of this course, students will acquire knowledge and understanding of the complex determining factors of health care delivery during conflicts and what can be done by way of health intervention to restore stability, peace and long-term rehabilitation.

Course Topics

• History of Conflict and International Engagement
• The Laws of War: Responsibility To Protect and Humanitarian Assistance
• The Dynamics of War and Violent Conflicts
• Case Studies – National, Regionally and Internationally
• Social Determinants of Health in Conflict
• Other Human Security Threats: Education, Food, and Employment
• Peace Keeping, Border Crossing and Protection Issues
• Health Care Workers: Risk & Impact Assessments
• Service Delivery: Collaboration, Implementation and Sustenance
• Mental Health Risks, Consequences and Impact
• Post Conflict: Returning, Re-integration and Rehabilitation
• Health in Peace-building and Reconciliation

Even though forced migration is not a new process, migration in the 21st century has become one of the crucial determinants of socio-economic growth and global mental health. Research shows that people are migrating in greater numbers than ever before and are doing so with faster paces in search for “greener pastures”. As borders shrinks and become more polarized migration (i.e. uprooting, displacement, resettlement, forced movement) – be it voluntary or involuntary has serious mental health implications for individual’s health, host and receiving countries with respect to health care systems management and delivery.

The aim of this course is to provide students with information and deeper understanding of the complexity of mental health and psychological challenges of migrant/immigrant populations as it relates to the host country. Students will learn about diverse mental health theories, principles, service deliveries/providers, and the relevance of local and international mental health policies for migrants.

Course Topics

• Introduction: History, basic principles, concepts, theories and trends of migration and mental health
• Migrant Mental health – Causes, Risks, Consequences of Migration Processes
• Types of Psychological Interventions and Models
• International and National Mental Health and Migration Laws and Policies
• Mental health in Complex Emergencies: Trauma and Torture Survivors
• Mental Health Care Delivery System for Migrants (access, communication, barriers, stigma)
• Fitting in: Cultural Clashes, Coping, Intergenerational Conflicts
• Resettlement and Integration (adjustment, employment, creating social networks)
• Migrant Minorities and Discrimination: Women and Children Vulnerabilities
• Research, Screening, Treatment and Diagnoses of Migrants
• Mental Health Literacy and Community Engagement
• Mental health Impact Assessment and Long-term Treatment

Women’s health and human rights issues are complex, broad and diverse. This course attempts to present an overview of women’s health and human rights concerns from a comparative international perspective. Taking into consideration women’s life span (from birth to adulthood) the courses dissects various socio-legal implications on women’s health and human rights such as unequal access to education, vulnerability to sexual violence and abuse, maternal mortality and challenges associated with feministic approaches toward implementing change. The course draws from a wide range of sources, including information about women’s advocacy in Canada.

Course Topics

• Introduction: Women’s Health and Human Rights Concepts, Theories and Normative Approaches
• International and National Women’s Human Rights Laws
• Growth Curve: Birth, Childhood, Adolescence and Womanhood
• Poverty and Social Impact: Access to Health, Education, Food, and Employment
• Youth and Adolescent Girls: Body Image, Sexuality and Relationships
• Sexual and Reproductive Health: Puberty, Maternity, Motherhood
• Vulnerability: Violence, Abuse, and Discrimination
• Women and the Court Systems International and National Perspectives
• Women in Conflicts: Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
• Trafficked and Smuggled Women
• Women’s Mental Health and Disabilities
• Aging, Illness and Resilience
• Feminism, Advocacy and Women’s Work
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Sexual and gender-based violence is a human right violation and it goes beyond sexual assault and rape. In normal situations, sexual and gendered based violence often go unreported for several reasons. Some contributing factors to under-reporting include socio-cultural norms, lack of support, fear of reprisal and powerlessness. During crisis (war, political strife, and natural disaster) the magnitude of these problems intensifies as systems and structures that support the rule of law and regulations breakdown. Survivors are usually left with indelible memories of pain trauma partly due to lack of quality health care and assistance. What can be done to protect women and children exposed to sexual violence during conflict and crises? Can the international and local communities take responsibilities? Should host countries implement policies effective policies to combat violence against survivors?

This course is designed to address these and many other contemporary yet difficult issues faced by women and children survivors of violence during crisis situations. The major aim of this course is to enlighten students on the severity of SGBV in emergencies situation with reference to gender roles, identity issues, power imbalance, social inequalities between women and men and how the local community engagement can impact care and treatment.
 

Course Topics

• Overview: causes, consequences, prevalence, demographics, and effects of SGBV in Global Crises
• International Conventions and National Policies: History, Impacts and Implementation Challenges
• Humanitarian Response, Assistance and Coordination
• Special Case Groups – Refugees, Immigrants, Stateless, Trafficked and Undocumented Persons
• Clinical Treatment, Management, Assessment
• Psychological Counselling and Interventions (Minimum Initial Service Package)
• Adolescents Sexual and Reproductive Health
• Boys and Men’s Health: Engagement, Prevention and Implementing Programs on SGBV
• Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation of SGBV in Crises
• Agencies Support and Advocacy (Peer-education)

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund over 2 million children worldwide have been killed in war. Further, children under 6 years have fought in at least 16 wars in 25 countries globally. War affected children face incomprehensible traumas and impediments — physically, socially, and psychologically. Although international humanitarian law purports that children’s rights must be respected during armed conflict, children are often held in captivity, forced to take up arms, separated from their families, and compelled to witness hideous crimes and death of their families and loved ones.

This course endeavors to enlighten students about the immediate and long-term impact of war on innocent children. Student will be encouraged to engage with local communities/programs and non-profit organizations dealing with former refugee children exposed to war, trauma and other political conflicts.

Course Topics

• History of Children in War
• Causes, Consequences, and Impacts of War on Children
• Children’s International Human Rights Instruments
• Illicit Arms Trade and Conflict Fuelling
• Special Groups of Concerns: Unaccompanied Minors, Abandoned, Disabled, Orphans, Displaced and Refugees
• Psycho-social and Behavioral Effects: (risks, consequences, therapy, intervention)
• Health and Education of Children in War
• Children as Torture and Trauma Survivors
• Child Soldiers: Returning, Re-integration and Rehabilitation
• Children and Youth Involvement in Conflict Resolution and Peace-building

General interest in global public health is evolving rapidly as emerging issues spring out everyday. Public health problems are intensified in resource poor countries where citizens are generally excluded and/or have limited access to social services. What are the challenging topics of concerns for people working in international public health? Who should take the lead in addressing current issues in public health? This course aims to help students acquire knowledge and skills in identifying emerging public health issues, and also examining, synthesizing and analyzing information, research findings and international reports on at least ten current topics. A brief synopsis on world health issues will be presented with reference to several international declarations as it relates to global health challenges.

Course Topics

• Migration Health and Human Trafficking (regular and irregular migrants and stateless people)
• Ethics and Research in Developing Countries
• Mental Health (trafficked children, unaccompanied minors, and adolescents)
• Health Workers Migration Crises
• Global Public Health, Trade and Intellectual Property Rights (Multi-national Drug Trade)
• Indigenous/Aboriginal Health (emphasis on women, adolescents, and emerging diseases)
• Health Promotion and Inter-cultural Communication (emphasis on Western hegemony)
• Public Health Prevention & Policy in Conflict Situation (SGBV in conflicts)
• Global Drug Crisis (malaria, HIV/AIDS, vaccine)
• Women and Children’s Health (poverty, hunger and violence)
• Global Health Governance (emphasis on state responsibility and international coordination).

Epidemiology in Public Health provide a broad scope of all the major areas in analytical and descriptive epidemiology. The course is practical in that it uses case examples to teaching principles, concepts and practice of epidemiology. The course focuses on descriptive and analytical epidemiology, disease risks assessments, study designs, monitoring and surveillance. Upon completing the course, students will have conceptual and practical knowledge of using sound epidemiological judgment to address public health concerns.

Course Topics

• Introduction to Epidemiology
• Concepts of Disease Occurrence
• Etiology and Transmission of Disease
• Sources of Epidemiological Data
• Collecting, Interpreting and Summarizing Data
• Descriptive Epidemiology: Person, Place and Time
• Risk Measurement: Morbidity and Mortality
• Case Control, Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies
• Experimental and Ecological Studies
• Randomized Control Trials
• Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology
• Public Health Screening, Surveillance, and Monitoring of Disease