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221.646.01
Health Systems in Low and Middle income Countries

Location
East Baltimore
Term
2nd Term
Department
International Health
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2023 - 2024
Instruction Method
In-person
Class Time(s)
M, W, 1:30 - 2:50pm
Auditors Allowed
Yes, with instructor consent
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Prerequisite
Description
Explores health systems in low and middle income countries (LMICs), and examines approaches to improving the performance of health systems. Focuses on frameworks, tools, skills, and strategies to understand, influence, and evaluate health systems in LMICs. Identifies key institutions, functions, and performance issues for national and local health systems. By using frameworks and tools, students gain experience in systematically analyzing health systems and methods to plan, implement, and evaluate changes in health systems in a variety of settings, including countries in various levels of demographic, epidemiologic and economic transitions. Covers key controversies in health systems, including issues in monitoring health systems performance, the role of the public sector, dealing with unregulated private health markets, linking priority health programs and health systems, raising accountability in the health system, etc.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Describe health systems frameworks, strategies and tools to analyze and evaluate health systems and their reforms in LMICs
  2. Explain and assess key systems, functions and institutions: oversight (e.g. governance, policy, regulation, public information), health care organization, and health financing
  3. Explain the role of different factors that contribute to health systems performance and health reforms
  4. Debate health systems issues concerning the roles of communities, public sector, markets, and other key institutions
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
  • 10% Participation
  • 15% Quiz 1
  • 15% Quiz 2
  • 15% Problem statement for individual paper
  • 45% Final individual paper
Enrollment Restriction
no undergraduates