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Global Health, Conflict and Violence

Understand the role of medical peace work, and consider the role of healthcare workers in times of conflict and violence.

6,064 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Digital upgrade

    Free

Explore the role of medics and healthcare workers in promoting peace

On this course you will learn about the key principles and different forms of medical peace work in the context of global health, conflict and violence. You will consider the role healthcare workers have to play in the prevention of violence and peace practices.

You will examine scenarios such as working in a conflict zone, nuclear explosions, storms, floods, heatwaves, infectious disease, migration and violent conflict. In each case you will consider the effects of these on global health.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 8 seconds A bomb blast at the district hospital this morning has left between 10 and 20 people injured. The explosion happened at dawn damaging the hospital kitchen in the side wing of the building…. Violence at different levels is one of the greatest determinants of ill health and death. Medical Peace Work is an emerging field of expertise, which combines health care, violence prevention and peace building. My name is Ingvild Fossgard Sandøy, and I am Adi Vyas. This MOOC has been made by the University of Bergen in collaboration with the European Medical Peace Work Partnership, and will introduce you to the key concepts, opportunities and dilemmas in medical peace work.

Skip to 0 minutes and 49 seconds Our first case study will identify challenges faced by health workers during violent conflict, especially the tension between medical ethics, security priorities, and the need for impartiality.

Skip to 1 minute and 5 seconds Our second case tries to understand large-scale violence, using the example of a nuclear explosion. What are the effects on the human body and why have health professionals become so involved in the prevention of nuclear war?

Skip to 1 minute and 23 seconds Our third case explores indirect or structural violence, and how global warming can be understood as a form of violence that affects health, and whether health professionals have a duty to ‘do no harm’ in this public health context. So, join us as we explore these important global health issues through the lens of public health and peace practice. Whatever your professional background, together we can begin our journey towards a healthier, more peaceful world.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Armed conflict

    • Welcome to the course and meet the team

      This unique course will introduce key concepts and dilemmas in the prevention of violence and the field of medical peace work. Let's meet your instructors and review how we will learn from each others' experiences.

    • Crisis at the district hospital

      This case is taught by Dr Adi Vyas and Ms Gabriela Arcadau

    • Ensuring access

      The healthcare team is faced with difficult choices in delivering services. Their duty to the community is challenged by an outbreak of violent conflict.

    • Medical peace work

      You have now been introduced to an example of how health professionals can engage in peace building. Let’s look at a few basic concepts which underlie this field of medical peace work.

    • What did we learn this week?

      How is the story of Dr Samoe's hospital related to the concepts of medical peace work?

  • Week 2

    A nuclear explosion

    • Nuclear weapons: an introduction

      Welcome and introduction

    • Responding to a nuclear explosion

      You are a nurse trained in disaster management. One morning you wake up to the news that a nuclear bomb has exploded in the centre of your city. What should you do?!

    • What are nuclear weapons and why do we have them?

      What are the nuclear threats today?

    • What can health professionals do?

      What can we do about nuclear weapons? And what have health professionals done in the past?

    • What did we learn this week?

      What did you learn about the role of health workers in response to the use of nuclear weapons?

  • Week 3

    The climate crisis

    • Health effects of the climate crisis

      Welcome and introductions

    • Storms and floods

      Extreme weather

    • Heatwaves, drought and wildfires

      Extreme weather

    • Infectious disease

      Vector-borne diseases

    • Sea level rise

      Sea level rise

    • Poverty, inequality and food insecurity

      Poverty, inequality and food insecurity

    • Migration and violent conflict

      Migration and violent conflict

    • What can health professionals do?

      What can health professionals do?

    • What did we learn this week?

      Let's review we have learnt this week, and how it is linked to basic concepts in medical peace work.

    • Course conclusion

      Course summary

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Discuss various definitions of the concepts of violence, conflict and peace, and their relationship to health professions
  • Describe the types of medical peace work that health care professionals can participate in globally and locally
  • Evaluate and respond to various forms of violence in health practice

Who is the course for?

This course is for global health professionals as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students in healthcare professions (medicine, nursing, allied and public health) and global health and development studies.

Who will you learn with?

Professor of Public Health at the University of Bergen. Research interests: sexual and reproductive health; interpersonal violence. Teaching: Public Health, Medical Peace work, Epidemiology

Deputy Chief Medical Officer in the City of Bergen, Norway. Specialty: Community medicine. Doctorate: Occupational medicine. Master's degree: Peace and conflict transformation. Coordinator of MPW3.

I teach courses on global health and sustainability at several institutions, including Queen Mary University of London, the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (UK) and Azim Premji University (India).

Who developed the course?

University of Bergen

The University of Bergen (UiB) offers first-class education and cutting-edge research at our location in the city centre of Bergen, Norway.

What's included?

University of Bergen are offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade, so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:

  • Unlimited access to this course
  • Includes any articles, videos, peer reviews and quizzes
  • A PDF Certificate of Achievement to prove your success when you’re eligible
  • Learning on FutureLearn

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    • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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