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Title: Health Systems and Human Health Security
Keywords: Resilience
Public Health
One Health
Health systems
Emerging diseases
Country: Germany
Institution: Germany - Institute of International Health, Berlin
Course coordinator: Julian Fisher
Date start: 2025-05-19
Date end: 2025-05-23
About duration and dates: Duration: 5 days (plus 2.5 days to complete the assessment post-course) Application deadline: 4 weeks prior to first presence course day. No preparation required. Final due date for post-course assessment: 10 days after the last scheduled course day (if not otherwise agreed on)
Classification: advanced optional
Mode of delivery: Face to face
Course location: Institute of International Health
Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Campus Virchow-Klinikum
Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
ECTS credit points: 2.5 ECTS credits
SIT: SIT: 67,5 hours
Contact: 34 hours (17,5 hours interactive lectures + 9 groupwork + 2,5 hours written test, incl. feedback and evaluation + 2 hours case studies + 3 hours Field Visit)
Self-study: 33,5 hours (11 hours of reading during the face-to-face week, 22,5 hours for assignment)
Language: English
Description: At the end of the module the student should be able to

● Apply a People-Centered Approach for health systems security to design integrated policies and programmes
● Use and adapt tools to advance localized and disaggregated analyses for a deeper understanding of persistent threats and emerging risks to the survival, livelihood and dignity of people,
● Critically discuss examples of health systems and human health security and their implementation at the local, regional and/or global level, including on attacks on healthcare facilities,
● Describe how public health intelligence approaches can provide comprehensive landscape analysis for disaster preparedness, and agile and adaptive responses,
● Explain how health systems and human health security, related concepts and operational principles can build resilience and social cohesion through inclusive and participatory processes
Assessment Procedures: A 2 hour closed book multiple choice/short answer exam (ca. 25 questions, accounting 33% to the overall mark). The exam will cover theoretical aspects of the module.

The student passes the exam if the student achieves ≥ 60% in the assessment. If the student fails s/he can re-sit on a date agreed on with the module coordinator (preferably within 4 weeks after the module).

An assessment (1500-2500 words, accounting for 67% to the overall mark). The assignment will allow students to present a case study of their learning that uses a real-world example connecting global health security (macro) to health systems (meso) to human health (micro) security.

A second re-examination for both types of assessment is permitted but may be linked to conditions set by the Committee of Admissions and Degrees, such as attending the course again in the following year (no additional fees).

The results of the assessments will be communicated to the students during the week after the course and within two weeks after the due date of the assignment, respectively. To pass the course, students have to achieve pass marks (60% or more) in both assessments.

Students receive two grades based on their overall mark, one according to the German (absolute) 6-point decimal grading system: 1.0 [excellent/sehr gut] – 6.0 [not sufficient/ ungenügend], pass mark: ≥ 4.0 [sufficient/ ausreichend]) and one according to the (relative) ECTS grading system (A top 10%, B next 25%, C next 30%, D next 25%, E lowest 10%)
Content: The course will cover the following topics:
Day 1:
● Introduction to module (30 mins)
● How can we strengthen the global health-security interface; concepts of Global Health Security, Health Systems and Health Security, Human Health Security, and related concepts for example Planetary Health boundaries and One Health (lecture) (1.5 h)
● Global health security, emerging global threats and challenges landscape; how health intersects with food, water, energy nexus (lecture) (1.5 h)
● Global report on attacks on healthcare how to prevent and mitigate violence against health care (lecture) (1 h)
● Frame a complex multisectoral security issue (for example food, water, energy) and identify its health challenges and opportunities. Group work (1.5 h)
● Self-study (3 h)

Day 2
● Guiding principles for health systems security; i. all-hazards, ii. risk-based iii. whole-of-society and multisectoral approaches (lecture) (1 h)
● Building health systems for health security (lecture) (1 h)
● Case studies showing the interdependencies of health systems and health security, Columbia / Philippines / Zimbabwe (2 h)
● Introduce WHO health systems for health security framework and challenges for implementation. (lecture 1 h)
● Apply four steps for building health systems for health security to develop a case study. Group work (2 h)
● Self-study (2 h)

Day 3:
● Evolution of People-Centered Security, and subsidiary and complementary concepts (lecture) (1.5 h)
● Conflict analysis and resolution; applying the human security approach to develop integrated policies and programmes (lecture and group work) (1.5 h)
● Review of evidence and reports on disaster preparedness, response and recovery (lecture) (1 h)
● Implementing a People-Centered Approach to Security; balancing a Top-Down and Bottom-Up, policy aspect to health security (1 h)
● Build on group work day 2 to develop small group case study presentation (2 h)
● Self-study (2 h)

Day 4
● Sustainable and resilient livelihoods framework (UNDP); review methods and tools to advance localized and disaggregated analyses for a deeper understanding of persistent threats and emerging risks (lecture) (1 h)
● Building the knowledge base; public health intelligence and use of artificial intelligence for collaboratory surveillance (lecture) (1 h)
● WHO Conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health; how concepts of human capital, community-based resilience, social cohesion and sustainability related to health systems and human health security (lecture) (1 h)
● Managing Hybridity; the leadership role of the health sector in health systems and human health security (lecture) (1 h)
● Review and critique of health – water security as case study for early action to reduce vulnerability and build resilience through inclusive and participatory processes and local ownership (lecture) (1 h)
● Build on group work days 2 & 3 to develop small group case study presentation (2 h)
● Self-study (2 h)

Day 5
● Field Visits in Berlin (3 h)
● Present and reflect on group case studies (1.5 h)
● Written exam (2 h)
● Feedback & Evaluation & Instructions for the assessment (30 mins)
● Self study (2 h)
Methods: The learning method is a combination of teacher centered (lecture, discussion) as well as learner centered (group work, role play, practical, self-study, and assignment) methods.
Prerequisites:
● English TOEFL test 550 or 213 computer-based or 79/80 internet-based or IELTS band 6.0
● Successful completion of the core course
Attendance: Maximum number of students: 20 students (unlimited tropEd students). Minimum number of students for the course to take place: 5 students
In order to be permitted to write the exam and receive a grade report or an attendance certificate, students have to attend 85% of the contact time.
Selection: Participants are selected on a first come first served basis.
Deadline for application: 4 weeks before module start
Deadline for payment: 4 weeks after having received the invoice (if not otherwise agreed on)
We shall confirm the module 4 weeks before the module starts which is subject to a sufficient number of applications
Late applications will be considered as long as places are available.
Application forms can be found here
Fees: 875.00 EUR TropEd MScIH students and alumni
1,093.75 EUR for others
Scholarships: Not available
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in Edinburgh, Sept. 2024; The accreditation is valid until Sept. 2029
Remarks: 1. WHO Health systems for health security: a framework for developing capacities for international health regulations, and components in health systems and other sectors that work in synergy to meet the demands imposed by health emergencies. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/342006
2. 2022 UNDP Special report on human security. https://hdr.undp.org/content/2022-special-report-human-security
3. Revamping the EU’s health security framework to manage future health crises. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/375438/Eurohealth-29-3-46-54.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
4. Lancet Series on One Health and Global Health Security; How prepared is the world? Identifying weaknesses in existing assessment frameworks for global health security through a One Health approach. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01589-6/fulltext
Email Address: mscih-student@charite.de
Date Of Record Creation: 2024-10-11 05:55:55 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release: 2024-10-11 12:13:30 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked: 2024-10-11 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified: 2024-10-11 12:13:30 (W3C-DTF)

Fifteen years of the tropEd Masters in International Health programme: what has it delivered? Results of an alumni survey of masters students in international health

L. Gerstel1, P. A. C. Zwanikken1, A. Hoffman2, C. Diederichs3, M. Borchert3 and B. Peterhans2

1 Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2 Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
3 Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charite – Universit€atsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany