Introduction to Global Health
Global health is no longer optional; it is the foundation of our collective future. In the digital transition, raising awareness means connecting minds as powerfully as we connect networks.
Dr. Donia Bouzid, Coordinator of the DOMINOS Project
WP4 – Introduction to Global Health aims to integrate a global perspective into healthcare education through the development of an innovative and accessible digital programme. Led by Université Paris Cité and the Aarhus University, this work package focuses on the creation of a comprehensive MOOC addressing major contemporary global health challenges.
WP4 contributes to the digital transformation of healthcare education while fostering international openness, interdisciplinarity, and a strengthened European dimension among students.
The MOOC is freely accessible on the DOMINOS Moodle.
MOOC Program
INTERNATIONAL AND INTERDISCPLINARITY COLLAROBATION IN GLOBAL HEALTH: THE CLIMATE IMPERATIVE
Prof. Xavier Jouven and Dr. Anneliese Depoux, Institute of Global Health of Paris Cité
This course explores the intersection of global health, climate change, and interdisciplinary collaboration. It focuses on how international teams from diverse fields—public health, environmental science, policy, and social sciences—can work together to address health challenges worsened by climate change. Students examine strategies for cross-sector collaboration, global policy frameworks, and innovative solutions that integrate science, equity, and sustainability. Emphasis is placed on understanding climate-related health risks, fostering partnerships across borders, and developing actionable interventions to protect vulnerable populations while promoting resilient, sustainable health systems worldwide.
GLOBAL HEALTH IN CONTEXT: ORIGINS, CHALLENGES, STAKEHOLDERS
Prof. Antoine Flauhault, France-Switzerland
This course examines the foundations and evolution of global health, tracing its historical roots from colonial medicine to contemporary international health systems. It analyses major health challenges such as infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, health inequities, and humanitarian crises within political, economic, and social contexts. Students explore the roles and influence of key stakeholders, including governments, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, private actors, and affected communities. The course emphasises power dynamics, governance structures, and ethical considerations shaping global health priorities, policies, and interventions in an increasingly interconnected world.
MODELING INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPREAD
The speaker’s name will be announced soon
This course explores the mathematical and computational modelling of infectious disease transmission. It introduces key frameworks such as compartmental models, network models, and agent-based simulations to understand how diseases spread within and between populations. Students examine core epidemiological concepts including reproduction numbers, herd immunity, and intervention impact. The course emphasises data-driven modelling, uncertainty analysis, and scenario forecasting to inform public health decision-making. Applications include outbreak investigation, vaccination strategies, and pandemic preparedness, equipping students with analytical tools to evaluate and design effective disease control policies.
DETECTING AND RESPONDING TO EPIDEMICS: LESSONS FROM SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS
The speaker’s name will be announced soon
This course examines how epidemics are identified, monitored, and controlled through public health surveillance systems. It explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of surveillance strategies at local, national, and global levels. Students analyse case studies of past outbreaks to understand early warning mechanisms, data collection methods, reporting structures, and response coordination. The course highlights the role of digital tools, laboratory networks, and international cooperation in outbreak detection. Emphasis is placed on translating surveillance data into timely, evidence-based interventions to mitigate spread and strengthen health system preparedness and resilience.
Prof. Mariusw Panczyk, Poland
Health Systems and Policy examines how healthcare systems influence who receives care, when they receive it, and under what conditions. Moving beyond the clinical encounter, this module explores the structures, financing mechanisms and policy decisions that shape access, quality and equity in healthcare. Learners will discover the four core functions of health systems—financing, service delivery, governance and quality assurance – and analyse how these interact to affect patient outcomes.
The module compares the three main models of healthcare organisation – Beveridge, Bismarck and mixed systems – highlighting their respective strengths, limitations and implications for universal health coverage. It also introduces key concepts in health economics, including resource allocation, financing mechanisms and the challenges of balancing limited resources with growing health needs.
A particular focus is placed on migrants’ access to healthcare. Through the examination of legal, financial, linguistic and administrative barriers, learners will gain a deeper understanding of why universal coverage does not always translate into equitable access. Finally, the module explores practical policy approaches that can promote inclusion, strengthen health systems and improve health outcomes for diverse populations. This module provides essential insights for understanding the broader systems that shape everyday clinical practice.
BEHIND THE CONSULTATION: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC VIEW OF MIGRANT HEALTHCARE
Dr. Benedetta Lana, France
This module explores migrant healthcare through an ethnographic study conducted in Trieste, Italy, along the Balkan migration route. Drawing on observations in clinics, public spaces, and community settings, it examines how migration experiences, administrative barriers, and social vulnerability shape healthcare encounters. Learners will discover why apparent non-compliance may reflect structural constraints, how cultural norms and experiences of violence influence interactions with healthcare professionals, and how different understandings of medication and care coexist. The module highlights the value of ethnography in revealing the complex realities behind consultations with displaced and undocumented migrants.
LANGUAGE BARRIERS IN HEALTHCARE
Dr. Uršula Čebron-Lipovec, Slovenia
MANAGING EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES: A GLOBAL COORDINATION CHALLENGE
Pr. Yazdan Yazdanpanah, France
This course examines the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases within an interconnected world. It explores the biological, environmental, and socio-political drivers of outbreaks, alongside the complexities of international coordination. Students analyse global governance mechanisms, including the World Health Organization and the International Health Regulations, assessing their role in outbreak response and accountability. The course emphasises cross-border collaboration, risk communication, resource mobilisation, and ethical decision-making to strengthen preparedness, containment strategies, and resilient global health security systems.
EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES AND ADAPTIVE PLATFORM TRIALS FOR EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The speaker’s name will be announced soon
This course explores evidence-based approaches to managing emerging infectious diseases, with a focus on innovative clinical research designs. It examines how adaptive platform trials enable the simultaneous evaluation of multiple treatments, allowing protocols to evolve in response to interim data. Students analyse methodological principles, ethical considerations, and regulatory frameworks guiding rapid evidence generation during health emergencies. The course highlights real-world applications in outbreak settings, emphasising collaboration, data sharing, and flexible trial governance to accelerate safe, effective interventions while maintaining scientific rigour and public trust.
GLOBAL BURDEN OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NDC)
Dr. Jean-Philippe Empana, France
This module explores the growing global burden of non-communicable diseases, with a particular focus on cardiovascular diseases from a global health perspective. It introduces the concept of primordial prevention, which seeks to prevent the emergence of risk factors by addressing the social, environmental and policy determinants of health. Drawing on international examples from Africa and Europe, the module highlights how promoting optimal cardiovascular health from childhood and throughout the life course can help reduce the long-term burden of chronic diseases and improve population health outcomes worldwide.
NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, MIGRATION, AND CROSS-CULTURAL HEALTH
Pr. Christian Morberg Wejse, Denmark
This course examines the intersection of non-communicable diseases, migration, and cross-cultural health. It explores how conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer are shaped by mobility, social determinants, and structural inequalities. Students analyse barriers migrants face in accessing prevention, diagnosis, and long-term care, including legal status, language, and discrimination. The course emphasises culturally responsive healthcare, transnational health dynamics, and policy approaches that promote equity. Through comparative case studies, it highlights strategies to improve continuity of care and reduce disparities in increasingly diverse societies.
ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND POLICY
The speaker’s name will be announced soon
This course explores the major ethical challenges shaping global health research and policy. It examines issues such as informed consent, exploitation, benefit sharing, data ownership, and research conducted in low-resource settings. Students analyse power imbalances between institutions, countries, and communities, alongside questions of justice, equity, and accountability in priority setting. The course also addresses ethical dilemmas in emergency responses, resource allocation, and policy implementation. Emphasis is placed on applying ethical frameworks to real-world cases to promote responsible, inclusive, and equitable global health practice.
ETHICS, ADVOCACY AND RESPONSABILITY IN GLOBAL HEALTH
The speaker’s name will be announced soon
This course examines the ethical responsibilities and advocacy roles of actors in global health. It explores principles such as justice, equity, and human rights in designing and implementing health policies and interventions. Students analyse moral dilemmas, accountability, and the impact of advocacy on vulnerable populations, alongside strategies to influence policy and practice responsibly. The course emphasises critical reflection on professional and institutional responsibilities, fostering ethical decision-making and effective advocacy to promote equitable, sustainable, and socially accountable global health outcomes.
Optional Content
The speaker’s name will be announced soon
This course examines the structure and functioning of the healthcare system in Burkina Faso. It analyses governance frameworks, decentralised administration, and the roles of public, private, and community-based providers. Students explore financing mechanisms, primary healthcare organisation, referral systems, and human resource distribution. The course also addresses challenges such as rural access, resource constraints, epidemiological transitions, and security contexts. Emphasis is placed on equity, universal health coverage efforts, and policy reforms aimed at strengthening service delivery and improving population health outcomes.
The speaker’s name will be announced soon
This course examines the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance in West Africa, analysing its clinical, social, and economic drivers. It explores patterns of antibiotic use in human and animal health, surveillance gaps, laboratory capacity, and regulatory challenges across the region. Students assess national action plans, regional coordination mechanisms, and the One Health approach linking human, animal, and environmental sectors. The course emphasises stewardship strategies, infection prevention, and policy reforms aimed at strengthening surveillance, improving rational drug use, and enhancing cross-border collaboration to contain resistance effectively.
Prof. Aleksandra Buha Đorđević, Serbia
This module examines endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), a growing threat to human health and the environment. Despite advances in genomics, 70 to 90 per cent of disease risks stem from environmental factors (the exposome). EDCs (such as BPA, phthalates, PFAS and pesticides) are exogenous substances that disrupt the endocrine system, causing harmful effects, which may be delayed or transgenerational. Ubiquitous in food, the air and everyday products, their health costs exceed €163 billion in Europe. To reduce exposure, accessible solutions are available: avoid processed foods and plastic, ventilate indoor spaces, opt for natural materials and limit the use of cosmetics.
The speaker’s name will be announced soon
This course examines the concept of digital resilience in modern medicine, focusing on healthcare systems’ capacity to adapt, recover, and maintain functionality amid digital disruptions. It explores challenges such as cybersecurity threats, data breaches, system failures, and technological integration in clinical practice. Students analyse strategies to strengthen digital infrastructure, ensure data integrity, and support continuity of care. The course emphasises the role of governance, risk management, and innovation in building robust, secure, and adaptive health systems that can respond effectively to evolving digital and technological challenges.
Pr. Pascal Grosse, Germany
Drawing on his expertise in European colonialism, Pascal Grosse examines whether artificial intelligence risks recolonising low-resource settings in global health. He argues that imperialism, colonialism, and neocolonialism all share a common thread: the exercise of hegemony. He warns that AI’s “raw material” – data – mirrors the natural resources extracted during colonial times, raising urgent questions about data sovereignty and ownership. He also highlights the risk of AI reinforcing existing inequalities, particularly given that big tech companies – rather than states – are the driving agents, making robust national and international regulation all the more essential.
Prof. Stella Hartinger, Peru
In this interview, Stella Hartinger, environmental health researcher and Associate Professor at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, shares how her experience working with vulnerable communities in Peru shaped her understanding of the close relationship between climate, environment, and human health.
Drawing on more than two decades of field research, she explains why children are particularly vulnerable to environmental and climate-related risks, and how poverty, social inequalities, and living conditions amplify these health impacts. She also discusses how researchers measure the effects of climate change on health and why evidence-based, community-centred research is essential for developing effective public health interventions.
Throughout the interview, Stella Hartinger highlights the importance of moving beyond a purely biomedical approach. Addressing the health consequences of climate change requires collaboration across sectors—including housing, agriculture, urban planning, and environmental policy—to build resilient and equitable health systems.
The interview concludes with a message to future health professionals, encouraging them to remain open to interdisciplinary collaboration, continuously adapt to emerging challenges, and play an active role in promoting climate-resilient and people-centred healthcare.