MA Humanitarianism and Conflict Response / Course details

Year of entry: 2023

Course unit details:
Health Systems

Course unit fact file
Unit code HCRI74000
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Full year
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) “A good health system delivers quality services to all people, when and where they need them. The exact configuration of services varies from country to country, but in all cases requires a robust financing mechanism; a well-trained and adequately paid workforce; reliable information on which to base decisions and policies; well maintained facilities and logistics to deliver quality medicines and technologies” (WHO). 

 

Post conflict and developing states have difficulty in providing many of these needed services.  This module will define and explore aspects of an optimal health system and specific challenges expressed within developing and post conflict scenarios. It will also provide scope as to how these challenges have been met through the intervention of international government and non-government entities

Aims

The unit aims to: Define the components of a good health system and identify how the delivery of these components is complicated within post-conflict and developing countries.  It will provide examples of each component, factors that have led to deficiencies within each and ways in which improvements can be made within the context of post-conflict and developing countries.

Knowledge and understanding

  • Identify measurements for health service delivery
  • Discuss various policies used to improve delivery of health services

Intellectual skills

  • Assess Health service delivery
  • Develop strategies to improve health systems in developing countries

Practical skills

  • Assess health system policies for different locations
  • Develop health system strategies according to current academic literature
  • Identify contextual factors within health systems that may lead to policy differentiation of health system policies

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Use persuasive writing
  • Perform basic policy analysis within a health systems context

Assessment methods

Contribution to Discussion Board - 10%

Online Multiple Choice Question Test - 15%

Final Essay - 75%

Feedback methods

Written feedback following submission

Additional notes

Please note that these units are intensive 8-week short courses, predominately independent-study, with no face-to-face learning

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