This course will introduce students to major aspects of global health governance. We will begin with introduction of essential concepts related to collective action and public goods. The course will introduce students to major aspects of global public health from the perspective of a political scientist. We review historic attempts to deal with transnational health problems in the aftermath of World War II, including the successful eradication of smallpox, halting efforts to address malaria, and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.
The course will survey the landscape of major organizations that deal with global health including international organizations like the World Health Organization and the World Bank, public-private partnerships such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, and by private sector actors like the Gates Foundation, the Rotary Club, and the Carter Center. We will look at the emergent response to global health crises from the mid 1990s on, including HIV/AIDS and malaria. The course will also examine challenges for global health response from potentially quickly dispersing infectious diseases like SARS, bird flu, and Ebola. The course will also explore the emergent issues associated with non-communicable diseases such as some kinds of cancers, diabetes, and illnesses associated with smoking and obesity. We will look at the challenges to strengthening public health systems and disease prevention. We will also look at related issues of basic health care, including maternal and infant mortality as well as nutrition. We will look at the role of new actors in the global health arena such as the Gates Foundation and broader challenges of support for health systems.
This class is cross-listed with GOV 388L #37964. LBJ is the home department.