GLOBAL HEALTH POLICY

POLI355

Course Code: POLI355
Semester: -
Theory+Practice: 3 + 0
ECTS: 5

Course Type

Elective Course

Course Level

Bachelor's Degree

Year of Study

Semester

ECTS

Name of Lecturer(s)

Instructor Evrim Tandoğan

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students;

Develop an understanding of the relationship between global health policies and international law and human rights, as well as the political, social, and economic dimensions of global health.
Understand the demographic, economic, and security approaches that can be used to analyse global health policy, as well as the key actors in global health policy.
Be able to discuss, from an analytical perspective, such issues of migration, development, and gender?which are central to the fields of Political Science and International Relations?and their connection to global health policy.

Mode of Delivery

Face to face

Prerequisites

Recommended Optional Programme Components

No recommended optional programme components.

Course Description

The Global Health Policy course approaches global health not from a medical perspective but focuses on its relevance to the disciplines of Political Science and International Relations. In this context, it examines how global health policies are formed and explores health inequalities by focusing on power dynamics among various actors, including states, international organizations, and the private sector actors. Throughout the course, students develop an analytical perspective on health inequalities, diseases, health systems, global governance, and how health policies are formed.

Course Contents

WEEK	TOPICS
1^st Week	Introduction, overview of the course scope, objectives, and resources, and an introduction to global health
2^nd Week	Global Health, Concepts and Issues
3^rd Week	Who makes global health policy?
4^th Week	Multilateralism in global health and current problems
5^th Week	Global health crises and globalization
6^th Week	Security approaches
7^th Week	Midterm Exam
8^th Week	Human Rights approaches
9^th Week	Global inequalities (developed/developing countries)
10^th Week	Global inequalities (migrants/ refugees)
11^th Week	Gender and health
12^th Week	Can sustainable development be a solution?
13^th Week	Future of Global Health
14^th Week	General Summary and Preparation for the Final Exam

Recommended or Required Reading

Books
Gostin, L. O., & Meier, B. M. (2020). Foundations of Global Health & Human Rights. Oxford University Press.
Jin, J. (2021). International regimes in global health governance. Routledge.
McInnes, C., & Lee, K. (2013). Global Health and International Relations. John Wiley & Sons.
Recommended Articles
Bump, J. B. (2025). Global Health and Its Limitations: An Historical Perspective. Health Systems & Reform, 11(2), 2478681.
Gostin, L. O., Moon, S., & Meier, B. M. (2020). Reimagining Global Health Governance in the Age of COVID-19. American Journal of Public Health, 110(11), 1615-1619.
Jaldi, A. (2023). The Crisis of Multilateralism Viewed from the Global South. Policy Paper for the New South.
Jong, F. C. D. (2018). Health Inequalities and Migrants: Accessing Healthcare as a Global Human Right. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, 11(4), 229-231.
Kickbusch, I. (2025). US exit from WHO: it is about much more than WHO. The Lancet, 405(10477), 444-446.
Koplan, J. P., Bond, T. C., Merson, M. H., Reddy, K. S., Rodriguez, M. H., Sewankambo, N. K., & Wasserheit, J. N. (2009). Towards a Common Definition of Global Health. The Lancet, 373(9679), 1993-1995.
Lazarus, J. V., Pujol-Martinez, C., Kopka, C. J., Batista, C., El-Sadr, W. M., Saenz, R., & El-Mohandes, A. (2024). Implications from COVID-19 for Future Pandemic Global Health Governance. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 30(5), 576-581.
McNeill, D. (2023). The World Economic Forum: An Unaccountable Force in Global Health Governance? Global Policy, 14(5), 782-789.
Pattanshetty, S., Inamdar, A., Dsouza, V. S., Bhatt, K., Jash, A., Gudi, N., & Brand, H. (2024). Scoping Review of International Relations Theories in Health Security: A cue for Health Diplomacy. F1000Research, 13, 184.
Rad, J. (2025). Health Inequities: A Persistent Global Challenge from Past to Future. International Journal for Equity in Health, 24(1), 148.
Tosam, M. J., Chi, P. C., Munung, N. S., Oukem?Boyer, O. O. M., & Tangwa, G. B. (2018). Global Health Inequalities and the Need for Solidarity: A View from the Global South. Developing World Bioethics, 18(3), 241-249.
Vidal, E. M., & Wickramage, K. P. (2023). Tracking Migration and Health Inequities. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 102(2), 143.
Youde, J. (2016). High politics, Low Politics, and Global Health. Journal of Global Security Studies, 1(2), 157-170.

Reports
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Global Burden of Disease 2023: Findings from the GBD 2023 Study. Seattle, WA: IHME, 2025.
Sachs, J.D., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., Iablonovski, G. (2025). Financing Sustainable Development to 2030 and Mid-Century. Sustainable Development Report 2025. Paris: SDSN, Dublin: Dublin University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25546/111909
UN DESA. 2025. The Gender Snapshot 2025 ? September 2025. New York, USA: UN DESA. UN DESA. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/gender-snapshot/2025/
World Health Organization. (2025). World report on social determinants of health equity: Executive summary.
WHO. (2022). World Health Statistics 2022: Montoring health for the SDGS, sustainable development goals.available at https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240110496

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture
Discussion
Presentation

Assessment Methods and Criteria

	Quantity	Percentage (%)
Mid-term	1	30
Project	1	20
Attendance	1	10
Total(%)		60
Contribution of In-term Studies to Overall Grade(%)		60
Contribution of Final Examination to Overall Grade(%)		40
Total(%)		100

ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload

Activities	Quantity	Duration (Hour)	Total Workload (Hour)
Midterm exam	1	1.5	1.5
Preparation for Quiz
Individual or group work	14	2.5	35
Preparation for Final exam	1	25	25
Course hours	14	3	42
Preparation for Midterm exam	1	20	20
Laboratory (including preparation)
Final exam	1	1.5	1.5
Homework
Presentation (including preperation)
Project	1	25	25
Total Work Load			150
Total Work Load / 30 (h)			5
ECTS Credit of the Course			5

Language of Instruction

English

Work Placement(s)

Programme Qualifications / Learning Outcomes

	LO1	LO2	LO3	LO4
K1	X	X		X
K2	X		X
K3			X
K4
K5
K6
K7
K8
K9				X
K10			X	X
K11
K12
K13		X