Department of Public Health

Delivery of health services is underpinned by a framework of health policies and other health system elements. Undergraduate Public Health students aspiring to the roles of health professionals need to know about these policies and about the process of policy making so that they can understand why a policy is what it is, and how to engage in the policy making process. It is also essential that students understand the relevance of health system strengthening for Strong health systems prevent, detect, and respond to deadly diseases, thereby preventing outbreaks from becoming epidemics, promote the well-being of people, and save lives. But when health systems break down, as we saw during the tragic Ebola epidemic in West Africa, their failure threatens global security and pushes more people into the depths of extreme poverty.  The aim of this module is to provide Public Health students as future health practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of the major components of national and global health systems and how health policy is created to adapt and reform these systems. Students will explore relevant policy theories, stakeholders and policy actors and processes that address major health policy challenges.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

• Define a health system using the WHO building blocks and the control knob frameworks
• Outline the key structural components of national health systems
• Compare and contrast the WHO building blocks framework for health system and the control knob framework.
• Describe the tactics used by different interest groups to make their voices heard.
• Explain how key policy levers - financing, regulation, organization of healthcare delivery and financing, payment mechanisms - are linked to each other and to health policy goals.
• Explain how an issue get into the policy agenda

§  Discuss the elements of health system and their functions

• Demonstrate an understanding of the policy process

§  Evaluate the role of the policy making process.

§  Compose arguments on health systems and policy development

• Recognize key current issues on the Rwandan and global health policy agendas
• Discuss the relevance of health system strengthening and this  can be done in a given case

Skills and Competences

§  Analyse the structure of their own health system.

§  Apply policy theories to contemporary health policy issues

§  Analyse policy stakeholders and their policy interests.

• Evaluate the implications of the political context of policy development
• Carry out a diagnostic analysis of a health policy concern leading to proposals for reform/change in levers, using the control knobs framework
• Analyze a health system and propose strategies for its strengthening

Attitudes

• Critically appraise existing health policies.
• Participate in the health system strengthening

Healthcare institutions worldwide are under increased pressure to deliver greater value and increased efficiency while guaranteeing ever higher quality of care. At the same time, patients’ needs are becoming more complex, advances in technology are enabling and forcing delivery model reform, expectations of service excellence are increasing, and players are continuing to demand greater cost control. Health policy changes in many countries have created pressure that have heightened the need for a new kind of leader-one who can deliver effective and compassionate care in a cost-efficient and integrated manner. This module examines the organization, functions and roles of the healthcare system. Current healthcare delivery programs are also studied and contemporary problems analyzed.

5. Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this module, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

·         Demonstrate an understanding of the Rwandan healthcare system, including its organization, structure, delivery modalities, performance, and terminology.

·         Relate and integrate the concepts of health and development, organization and management, economics, ethics, health needs, finance, and healthcare law to the healthcare environment.

·         Apply their knowledge of program planning and evaluation within healthcare organizations and the role of information systems in this process.

·         Identify and understand processes of continuous improvement and the barriers that exist to its success in a healthcare setting.

·         Identify major components and issues of healthcare law and policies as they apply to health care organizations.

Skills and Competences

·         Use theories of leadership and organizational behavior to define and implement management practices in healthcare settings.

·         Understand and apply appropriate analysis to ethical issues as they impact management and decision-making within healthcare organizations

Attitudes

• Pursue realistic ideas about how to implement their healthcare knowledge, skills and values in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings that will meet personal goals and societal needs

This module aims at familiarizing students to population theories as well as to the complexities of interdisciplinary nature of population analysis. The module introduces students to the basic techniques of formal (statistical) demographic analysis. All demographic sub-fields will be covered at a basic level: marriage, fertility, mortality, population growth, migration, as well techniques and purpose of standardization.

5. Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this module, students should be able to: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

Knowledge and Understanding

• Demonstrate an understanding of selected applied issues related to population dynamics.
• Describe demographic issues embedded in the main theories, concepts and principles.
• Use a range of routine information sources and surveillance system to support Public Health activities.

Skills and competences

• Convert population related complex ideas in a well-structured & coherent form.
• Analyze data about population in specific geographic areas presented in graphs in order to assess the health status, health inequalities, determinants and different needs to support prioritization of action
• Undertake a brief health need assessment for a defined population for a specific purpose using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods and make recommendations.

Attitudes

• Appreciate the usefulness of demographic knowledge to understand Public Health issues.

The module is a non-clinical module aimed at enabling students to understand sexual and reproductive health issues and related health promotion programmes. The module is designed to provide an understanding of sexual and reproductive health and population issues as well as the knowledge necessary for understanding reproductive health interventions. The first part of the course examines the biological, theoretical, social, psychological and cultural aspects of human sexuality. Students will learn about Sexual anatomy, sexual response cycle, sex and gender development, sexual attraction and relationship. The second part will explore and examine local and global challenges relating to the social, political and economic context influencing sexual and reproductive health. Then, the last part will examine sexual and reproductive services tailored to adolescents and women during their perimenopausal years.  

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

• Demonstrate an understanding of the biological and  physiological aspects of human sexuality
• Examine psychosocial aspects of human sexuality, to include discussion of gender roles, attraction and love, sexual expression, sexual orientation, and relationship development
• Examine the historical, theoretical and contemporary perspectives on human sexuality.
• Explain the health and other benefits of Family Planning for mothers, children and families

Skills and competences

• Apply the knowledge of reproductive anatomy and physiology to client counseling  in matters of reproductive health
• Provide RH education and counseling services that are appropriate for Adolescents and that relate to normal adolescent development, sexuality and psychosocial, and health care needs of adolescents.
• Provide RH education, counseling and care for women during the perimenopausal years.
• Provide education and counseling to individuals and groups about the consequences and prevention of RTIs/STIs and HIV/AIDS.
• Design and implement sexual and reproductive interventions to address the community needs in this area.

Attitudes

• Develop a commitment to understand and help people to have healthy sexual and reproductive lives.

This module serves as an introduction to the field of maternal and child health, focusing on major issues affecting the health and well-being of children and families over the life span. Upon successful completion of this module, students should be able to

• Describe the major causes of morbidity and mortality affecting women of reproductive age and children in resource-limited settings
• Analyse the underlying determinants of women's and children's health using a life-cycle approach
• Explain the links between gender and women's and children's health, and critically assess public health policy and programs from a gender perspective
• Identify effective public health interventions to improve the health of women and children in resource-limited settings and critique the evidence for these interventions
• Demonstrate an understanding of the challenges impacting on access, quality and delivery of services and public health programs in resource-limited settings and describe effective approaches to overcome these challenges.

• Analyse the underlying determinants of women's and children's health using a life-cycle approach
• Advocate for the improvement of women and children health

Brief description of aims and content 

 Delivery of health services is performed by a framework of health policies and other health system elements. 

 Undergraduate Public Health students aspiring to the roles of health professionals need to know about these policies and about the process of policy making so that they can understand why a policy is what it is, and how to engage in the policy making process. 

It is also essential that students understand the relevance of health system strengthening for Strong health systems prevent, detect, and respond to deadly diseases, thereby preventing outbreaks from becoming epidemics, promote the well-being of people, and save lives 

The aim of this module is to provide Public Health students as future health practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of the major components of national and global health systems and how health policy is created to adapt and reform these systems. Students will explore relevant policy theories, stakeholders and policy actors and processes that address major health policy challenges.

Delivery of health services is performed by a framework of health policies and other health system elements. 

Undergraduate Public Health students aspiring to the roles of health professionals need to know about these policies and about the process of policy making so that they can understand why a policy is what it is, and how to engage in the policy making process. 

 It is also essential that students understand the relevance of health system strengthening for Strong health systems prevent, detect, and respond to deadly diseases, thereby preventing outbreaks from becoming epidemics, promote the well-being of people, and save lives 

The aim of this module is to provide Public Health students as future health practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of the major components of national and global health systems and how health policy is created to adapt and reform these systems. Students will explore relevant policy theories, stakeholders and policy actors and processes that address major health policy challenges

The module aims that the students would understand the analysis, application and integration of multi-sectoral approaches in solving environmental health concerns. They are expected to develop the ability to influence the prevention of diseases and negative conditions related to environmental factors.

The components of environmental health include water supply and water quality, occupational health and safety, environmental pollution, vectors and vermin control, solid and liquid waste management, environmental health education, disaster and emergency preparedness and inspection of premises.

SUMMARY( GENERAL IDEA OF THE COURSE) & LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PURPOSE OF THE COURSE.

This course explores the epidemiology and biology of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Through a theme based, integrated approach, students learn about the epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Emphasis is placed on epidemiological methods, routes of transmission, host-pathogen interactions, and mechanisms of virulence.

The course is designed to provide an overview of the prevalence, incidence and risk factors for major communicable and non-communicable that faces the Rwandan population and the population of the world in general.