About this Course

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This course will provide you with an overview of the most important health challenges facing the world today. You will gain insight into how challenges have changed over time, we will discuss the likely determinants of such changes and examine future projections. Successful international strategies and programs promoting human health will be highlighted and global health governance structures will be mapped and the role of the key actors explored.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 19 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Maternal Child Health
Reproductive Health
Public Health
Community Health

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 19 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.72/5 (150 Ratings)

Flemming Konradsen

Professor, Director

Copenhagen School of Global Health, University of Copenhagen

61,016 Learners

3 Courses

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(6,023 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Defining and Measuring Global Health

Welcome to the first module of this global health course. In the first lesson we will introduce you to the overall concepts and definitions of global health and examine the question "What are the biggest global health challenges?". You'll get to hear some answers from fellow learners from around the world, and also have an opportunity to join the conversation here in the course discussion forums. We also have an interview with Professor Susan Whyte about the impact of health policy on a population's health. The second lesson deals with the central tools needed to measure global health burden. Together these two lessons will form the basis on which all the other topical modules are built. Enjoy!

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 97 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

8 videos

1.1: Welcome to the Course (F Konradsen)9m1.2: Voxpop - What is the biggest global health challenge? (Your fellow students)1m1.3: How Changing Policies Impact Population's Health (S Whyte)15m2.1: Epidemiological and Demographic Transition (DW Meyrowitsch)18m2.2: Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) (DW Meyrowitsch)9m2.3: Global Burden of Diseases (DW Meyrowitsch)19m2.4: Disease-specific Risk Factors, part 1 (IC Bygbjerg)9m2.5: Disease-specific Risk Factors, part 2 (IC Bygbjerg)12m

3 readings

Course Information10mSuggested readings and resources10mSuggested readings and resources10m

1 practice exercise

Defining and Measuring Global Health30m

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Infectious Diseases

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 63 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

5 videos

3.1: Infectious Diseases, part 1 (IC Bygbjerg)12m3.2: Infectious Diseases, part 2 (IC Bygbjerg)7m4.1: Infectious Diarrheal Diseases (S Tulsani)12m4.2: Malaria - The Transition (L Hviid)14m4.3: HIV in Global Health (J Lundgren)15m

2 readings

Suggested readings and resources10mSuggested readings and resources10m

2 practice exercises

Online Activity: Infectious Diseases and Development Goals30mInfectious Diseases30m

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Non-Communicable Diseases and Injuries

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 91 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

7 videos

5.1: NCDs explained (AR Demaio)12m5.2: The Global Burden of Disease - The Rise of NCDs (AR Demaio)15m5.3: Determinants and Drivers of NCDs (AR Demaio)8m5.4: Diabetes (V Narayan)17m5.5: Joint Risk Factors (IC Bygbjerg)14m6.1: Mental Health in a Global Perspective (M Muijen)11m6.2: Pesticides and Self Harm in Sri Lanka (M Eddleston)10m

2 readings

Suggested readings and resources10mSuggested readings and resources10m

3 practice exercises

Online Activity: Air Pollution30mOnline Activity: Road Traffic Injuries30mNon-Communicable Diseases and Injuries30m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Maternal and Child Health

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 70 min), 3 readings, 1 quiz

6 videos

7.1: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (S Tellier)10m7.2: Components of Sexual and Reproductive Health (BL Sørensen)18m7.3: The Role of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (E Dupont)12m7.4: Abortion Stigma (T Gammeltoft)9m8.1: mHealth in Reproductive and Child Health (S Lund)10m8.2: Continuum of Care (C Schmiegelow)10m

3 readings

Suggested readings and resources10mSuggested readings and resources10mJoin our challenge: Help us reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)!10m

1 practice exercise

Maternal and Child Health30m

Week5

Week 5

2 hours to complete

Environment, Climate and Migration

2 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 77 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

6 videos

9.1: Environmental Health Challenges (F Konradsen)15m9.2: Main Environmental Challenges (R Bos)13m9.3: Climate Change and Health (P Furu)18m10.1: Refugees and Internally Displaced (S Tellier)9m10.2: Migrants and Health (S Tellier)10m10.3: Migration and Health in a Scandinavian Context (M Nørredam)9m

2 readings

Suggested readings and resources10mSuggested readings and resources10m

1 practice exercise

Environment, Climate and Migration30m

Week6

Week 6

2 hours to complete

Food and Water

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 50 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

4 videos

11.1: Nutrition and Infectious Diseases (H Friis)14m11.2: Diabetes and Maternal and Child Health (KK Nielsen)6m12.1: Sanitation and Development Goals (S Cairncross)13m12.2: Diseases Related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (W van Der Hoek)14m

2 readings

Suggested readings and resources10mSuggested readings and resources10m

2 practice exercises

Online Activity: Childhood Malnutrition30mFood and Water30m

Week7

Week 7

3 hours to complete

Health Systems and Global Health Governance

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 93 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

13.1: NCDs and Health Care Systems (G Galea)11m13.2: Financing Universal Health Coverage (A Bjerrum)15m13.3: Health Care Facilities in Burkina Faso (H Samuelsen)8m13.4: Health Systems in Fragile States (TA Dræbel)22m13.5 Medical Tourism16m14.1: Global Health Governance (S Tellier)9m14.2: Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (K Mauer-Stender)9m

5 readings

Suggested readings and resources10mSuggested readings and resources10mKeep in touch10mLearning More10mLecturers10m

2 practice exercises

Online Activity: Framework for Health Systems30mHealth Systems and Global Health Governance30m

Reviews

4.8

198 reviews

5 stars
80.75%
4 stars
16.96%
3 stars
1.77%
2 stars
0.12%
1 star
0.37%

TOP REVIEWS FROM AN INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL HEALTH

by ZKJun 8, 2020

It was interesting and useful. And I appreciate to everyone who put him/her energy to that. Thank you! Waiting for new videos and courses.

by MMApr 4, 2021

It is a very interesting course. It would need more recent updates of some modules, especially after Covid19 pandemic has developed as a big global health challenge.

by UDJul 3, 2019

This course has covered a wide range of global health topics in an understandable form. I am very satisfied by completing the course but of course with loads of thoughts on the varied issues.

by RRMar 18, 2018

I really learnt alot on introduction to global health, from learning the greatest challenges in healthcare to Global burden of diseases. The course was quite helpful.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

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Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
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What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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An Introduction to Global Health