Global Health Challenges

Enter the global health pathway and explore wellbeing through an international lens to facilitate a broad understanding of and solutions for global health challenges which transcend international borders. In this pathway students will work towards developing solutions to allow people worldwide to live the life they choose to and improve their quality of life; this will involve engaging with these people and groups to co-design interventions.

This pathway will provide students with skills that go beyond a focus on health and will allow them to develop their ability to work in a team and lead change in society. The knowledge, skills and work experience will complement their core degree and help them to enhance their career opportunities and graduate aspirations, whether global or close to home.

Global health is about improving not just health, but also wellbeing and quality of life for all people worldwide.

We all work to improve global health – this is not just about healthcare, it is about how different disciplines work together to provide solutions to improve everyone’s living standards and achieving equality and equity on a global scale.

The discipline that you come from and the subject that your degree covers provides a basis for students to contribute to improving global health and quality of life. 

In year one we introduce you to global health challenges and to the wider determinants of health, and how these link with the Sustainable development goals. We also encourage you to build your knowledge in the challenges that are of interest to you. This could be linked to vulnerable populations, environmental change, injustice, organisation and management of health related services and policy, and the reasons for poor health.

Importantly, the focus is on how we prevent and improve poor health and quality of life.

In year two you will be encouraged to develop solutions to global health challenges. This will involve how you use evidence to develop and apply these solutions. You will develop intellectual, practical and transferable skills, involving using evidence to improve global health and reduce health inequalities. 

We will also look at how we can develop ways to communicate these solutions, focusing on the use of digital methods.

In between year 2 and 3 you could have an international year in which you could gain experience working on projects that aim to improve global health in any country worldwide and we will work with you to develop this.

In year three you will apply some of your knowledge and proposals for solutions, and gain experience with people beyond the University to help to guide your future pathway once you have completed your degree.