K2SP 3350 - Global Health Economics

This course provides an Introduction to Global Health Economics (GHE), which systematically analyzes the problems encountered in promoting access to health for all and the provision of health care. It will also cover the relationship between health and economic activity from a multidisciplinary perspective (including insights from sociology, political science, psychology, demography, epidemiology).

The course will follow this broad agenda:

1- General introduction: The specificity of healthcare and global health in the economy

2- Part I: Infectious diseases and health in low-income countries (LICs)

3- Part II: Health behaviors and health systems in HICs (high-income countries)

More precisely the course should follow this Agenda:

• Introduction to economics and health economics – fundamentals (1&2)
• Designing and evaluating healthcare programs (3)
• The effect of Health on development or economic activity (and reciprocally) (4)
• The demand for health and prevention (5&6) & Mid-term MCQ (6,7)
• The economics of infectious diseases (8)
• Health policy and health systems (9&10)
• Economic evaluation of health care programs part 2 (11)
• Oral presentations (12)

GHE draws on:

• Economic theories to understand the choices of consumers, producers and governments.
• The evaluation of public policies, including the trade-offs between equity and efficiency in decision-making when resources are limited.
• A global perspective favoring comparisons between LICs and MICs.

Examples of topics include the relationship between health, wealth and growth, individual health behaviors, health systems and comparative health policy, economic evaluation of new technologies, access to universal coverage, social determinants of health and health care.

The course is directed to students with a background in humanities, social sciences or the natural sciences. The minimum requirement for admission is that the students must have at least half a year's studies within the humanities or social sciences. Students must also have a good working knowledge of English, and should be able to read and follow lectures in this language as well as writing essays in English. Knowledge in statistics could be appreciated.

Sessions will be based on power point presentations available shortly beforehand for students to take notes during the presentation

Three evaluations: one individual and two by groups of two or three students:

• A multiple-choice questionnaire at mid-term (individual grade 30%
• An essay (in the format of a short policy-brief during the last class) on a relevant health economics or health policy issue / dilemma related to at least one of the course sessions integrating comments and suggestions (group grade: 40%)
• An oral presentation of the topic and findings related to the written essay + individual in-class oral participation (individual and group grade: 30%)

Different articles will be made available on Moodle and will be used as case-studies. They will be numbered according to the class session. Students will be expected to read these articles before the appropriate sessions.