OAFP 9210 - Policy coherence for addressing the determinants of health equity

In the current challenging context for global health, the course addresses the importance of political,

social, economic and cultural determinants of health in advancing health equity in the post-pandemic era.

It will therefore focus on understanding the importance of health determinants in the 2030 Agenda and the

need for multisectoral action. It will explore examples of key determinants such as nutrition, migration,

gender, social protection, digitalization, climate change, access to medicines and technologies,

urbanization, water and sanitation.

The course will mobilize the theoretical, critical and practical skills needed to understand the challenges of

policy coherence in multisectoral policy-making and advocacy (i.e. in the case of structural/systemic

determinants such as discrimination embedded in policies, laws, institutions and social norms, e.g., racial

inequalities), to identify good practices and bottlenecks in designing public policies with health

determinants and equity at their core, and to advocate for improved coherence between national and

international sectoral policies and political commitment. Where possible, voices from the field will be

mobilized (e.g., actions and interventions of Swiss-supported programs in low- and middle-income

countries.

• This is an introductory course on health determinants for equity from a global health and

policy/political perspective.

• It therefore requires a basic understanding of global health and the dynamics of international

cooperation. No knowledge of epidemiology or medicine is required. Basic knowledge of public health

would be an asset.

Each session consists of a lecture in the first half and a class discussion/role-playing exercise on the key

issues presented in the lecture and the required readings in the second half.

Several international and Swiss experts will present the various determinants.

A Masterclass Conference with renown experts in health determinants/equity will be organized.

The aim of the course is to raise awareness of the impact of determinants on health and equity in access

to health services. It is therefore an “awareness-raising exercise” that is not based on a theoretical or

academic foundation. Therefore, an MCQ assessment method is not very appropriate. A more interactive

method to stimulate critical thinking is proposed, as follows

• An oral test with a role-playing exercise in groups on policy dialogue on an issue requiring

coherence across sectors and between national and international cooperation dynamics (e.g.,

local production of medicines and technologies, knowledge transfer and intellectual property).

• A written test on a specific case of policy coherence in two parts: 1) understanding the health

dimension and the impact of determinants in the case in question, 2) proposals for negotiation and

policy coherence.

1-2 lectures for each session (on different determinants). The readings are reasonably light but there is an

expectation for student participation in the lecture, especially when these readings are being discussed.