| Title: |
Equity and child (health) rights |
| Keywords: |
Human rights
Health Policy
Equity
Child health
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| Country: |
Germany
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| Institution: |
Germany - Witten/Herdecke University, Witten
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| Course coordinator: |
Martina Fier
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| Date start: |
2025-10-13 |
| Date end: |
2025-10-24 |
| About duration and dates: |
Application deadline: 13.9.2025. Pre-reading materials will be available on 2025-09-30. |
| Classification: |
advanced optional
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| Mode of delivery: |
Face to face
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Course location:
Witten/Herdecke University
Alfred-Herrhausen-Strasse. 50, 58448 Witten, Germany.
tropEd representative: Farzana Yasmin (farzana.yasmin@uni-wh.de) |
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| ECTS credit points: |
3 ECTS credits
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SIT:
90 hours: 35 hours contact time (25 hours lectures and seminars, 10 hours supervised group work), 55 hours self-directed (20 hours guided group work preparation, 35 hours individual reading and assessment preparation). |
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| Language: |
English
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Description:
At the end of the module, the student should be able to:
1. Explain the basic concept of equity and equality in child health.
2. Demonstrate knowledge about child rights and entitlements and how they can be violated.
3. Analyze the context, trends, root causes, and contributing factors to the inequity and inequality in child health and child healthcare.
4. Discuss ways to ensure that children receive their rights and entitlements and draw on the role of families, communities, governments, and children themselves.
5. Criticise policy approaches that promote inequity and inequality and deny child rights. |
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Assessment Procedures:
Both assessments are in class and on the last day of the module. There will be a group presentation after the mini-essay test. Depending on the number of participants, groups will be formed (3-5 participants). To familiarize students with the assessment format, we conduct a mock examination for each assessment tool at the end of the first week, which is peer-assessed using the assessment rubrics. The course coordinators will clarify any questions that arise.
1. Mini Essay (60%): The Mini Essay will be 60 minutes. Students can choose between two essay topics where they need to analyze an inequity and inequality child health scenario and apply the main concepts discussed during the course that may help to offer a solution.
2. Group presentation (40%): Presentation followed by discussion (Q&A). Students can choose the country of the presentation and are expected to cover the following: background, existing child and child health inequities in the country, health system, existing government policies and strategies, and critically analyse the policies promoting child rights. Each student has to choose one part (topic) of the presentation, present for 8-10 minutes, and respond to the question in their part. Each student will be assessed separately for their presentation and Q&A session.
The students must pass both assessments separately for the final pass score (the pass mark is 50%). Feedback will be given to the students within two weeks according to the tropEd assessment guidelines. Those who fail the module on the first attempt have a second opportunity and need to re-sit one or both failed assessments. For example, if a student fails the mini Essay, the student will be given two new topics to choose from. If a student fails in-group presentation, they have to present again (group/individual); if they fail both, they have to repeat both. For re-sits, students have to be physically present. Re-sits will be scheduled individually but not later than six weeks after the initial assessment. Re-sit marks are capped at 50%. |
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Content:
1. Module Introduction: General module structure, learning outcomes, and assessment information.
2. Key concepts I: Introduction to the "Convention on the Rights of the Child" concept, root causes (including social and cultural norms) of inequity and inequality in child rights (and in health), social determinants of child health; right to health care services (acceptability, accessibility, affordability, availability).
3. Key concept II: Measures/assessments of child health inequality and child rights in general; child health inequalities and their consequences to the society and slower development.
4. Key concepts III: Health system and policy strategy to address inequity and inequality in child rights and in health (e.g., gender-responsive health system, closing gender data gap); reporting of child health inequality and child rights in general; the role of families, communities and children themselves to ensure the way out; UHC and SDGs- road to equality in health care; health sector preparedness for the impact of inequity and inequality (e.g., the burden of mental health, health care financing, etc.); inter-professional and multi-sectorial response to health-related inequity and inequality (e.g., health, safety/security, education, and economic and legal response, etc.). |
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Methods:
A mix of interactive lectures and seminars and more student-driven methods such as supervised group work and self-directed group work guided by specific questions form the basis of most sessions. Lectures and seminars draw on essential and optional prior reading that will be available in Moodle. Besides, brief presentations of group work results, role-play, a situation simulation, and a debate will promote active learning. A typical day may look like as follows:
Am:
- A 15-minute reflection on learning from the previous day and an introduction to a new topic
- A 1-hour lecture to activate prior knowledge (from prior reading) and the main content of the day
- A 15-minute to explain tasks for group work
- A 1.5 hours of self-directed group work on a scenario with guiding questions
Pm:
- A 1-hour seminar based on brief presentations from group work with a reflection on the learning outcomes of the day
- A 2.5 hours of self-directed reading (revision and preparation for the next day). |
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Prerequisites:
Students from outside the tropEd network must provide evidence of a professional background (e.g., a Bachelor degree) in health (e.g., medicine, nursing, midwifery, dental) but do not require any previous knowledge in child health or child right.
Students who have completed a core course at a tropEd home institution are considered fluent in the English language, and students who have completed at least a Bachelor course taught in the English language are considered fluent. Other students must show results of 550 in the English TOEFL test or 213 computer-based or 79/80 internet-based or IELTS band 6.0 (not older than two years). |
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Attendance:
Max. 15 students (number of tropEd students not limited). Min. 5 students |
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Selection:
Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. |
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Scholarships:
Not Available |
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tropEd accreditation:
Acrredited in Munich GA in February 2023. This accreditation is valid until February 2028. |
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Remarks:
Key resources:
● UN Commission on Human Rights (1990). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child
● Clark, H et al. (2020). A future for the world's children? A WHO–UNICEF–Lancet Commission. The Lancet, Volume 395, Issue 10224: 605-658.
● Braveman P: Health Disparities and Health Equality: Concepts and Measurement. Annu. Rev. Public Health 2006. 27:167–94.
● Braveman P, Gruskin S: Defining equity in health. Epidemiol Community Health 2003; 57:254–258.
● Levy JK et al. (2020). Characteristics of successful programmes targeting gender inequality and restrictive gender norms for the health and wellbeing of children, adolescents, and young adults: a systematic review. Lancet Glob Health; 8: e225-36.
● World Health Organization (2011). The Commission on Social Determinants of Health Knowledge Networks. Improving Equity in Health by Addressing Social Determinants. |
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| Email Address: |
martina.fier@uni-wh.de |
| Date Of Record Creation: |
2023-03-10 05:51:44 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Of Record Release: |
2023-03-10 12:00:26 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Record Checked: |
2023-03-10 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Last Modified: |
2024-09-06 09:38:37 (W3C-DTF) |
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