Health assistance in humanitarian crisis

About the course

The course provides concrete tools for planning and implementing humanitarian health assistance. The basis of the course is the global health situation and determinants for health. It illustrates how context and different types of disasters affect public health. The course highlights health strategies aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality.

Purpose and goal

After the course the student should be able to: 

• describe and explain the general global health situation and factors that determine variations and summarize general strategies relevant for improving global health
• in relation to common communicable diseases: describe the global burden, vulnerable groups, transmission, clinical manifestation and management
• in relation to maternal- and child health: describe the global burden, clinical manifestation and management of common diseases and disorders
• identify, interpret and summarise information related to the interrelationship between hazardous events, vulnerable populations and health outcome
• assess health strategies limiting morbidity and mortality
• plan for health promotion programs
• argue for key components needed and plan for the control of communicable diseases
• plan interventions for prevention and management of maternal and child health, including acute malnutrition.
• plan for optimal healthcare based on disease burden and limited resources with an ethical approach.
• explain the humanitarian context and principles of humanitarian assistance

Course content

The course focuses on humanitarian health assistance from the following core areas:

• Global health and disaster response
• Humanitarian principles and organization
• Communicable diseases, epidemic outbreaks
• Maternal and child health
• Non communicable diseases
• Mental health in disasters
• Moral and ethical dilemmas in humanitarian work

For more detailed course content, please see course syllabus.

When and where

• 15th of January – 8th of March 2024
• 4,5 weeks on campus in Stockholm and 3,5 weeks online

For a more detailes, please see the scheduele. The scheduele may be subject to change.

Course outline

• Interactive lectures
• Discussion seminars
• Case-based Group assignments
• Clinical simulation exercises

Participating teacher/course managment

Anneli Eriksson, course leader, RN PhD, Research specialist, Centre for Research on Health Care in Disasters, Department of Global Public Health

“The course is based on the latest research within the academic field of public health in disasters and is taught by health professionals with vast practical field experience”.

Johan von Schreeb, MD, Professor Global Disaster Medicine, Department of Global Public Health

Martina Gustavsson, RN, MSc, PhD candidate

For more information and registration

For questions on course content:

Anneli Eriksson, course leader

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Global Public Health

E-post: anneli.eriksson@ki.se

For administrative questions:

Kristoffer Mörtsjö, Project coordinator

Karolinska Institutet Uppdragsutbildning

E-post: Kristoffer.mortsjo@ki.se

Application

If you are going to take the course via Médecins Sans Frontières, please contact Tove Eriksson, tove.eriksson@stockholm.msf.org to apply.

If you are interested in applying to this course but are not a staff member of Médecins Sans Frontières please contact Kristoffer Mörtsjö, kristoffer.mortsjo@ki.se for more information about the registration process and fee.

Please note that the course is subject to the condition that we receive a sufficient number of participants.

Registration is binding. In case of cancellation later than six (6) weeks before the course starts, 50 percent of the course fee will be charged, and in case of cancellation later than three (3) weeks before the course starts, the full course fee will be charged. For full terms see our general terms and conditions.

The course is conducted under the condition that we receive a sufficient number of participants.