Course summary

Significant socioeconomic and environmental changes, such as economic barriers in healthcare and climate change, have created a fresh set of global health challenges that pose significant risk to lives and livelihoods, and have exacerbated existing health inequalities and inequities – from the rapid spread of new infectious diseases like Covid-19 to the global financial burden of non-communicable diseases. The World Economic Forum has estimated that just five of the chronic diseases – diabetes, mental illness, cancer, chronic respiratory and heart disease – will cost over $47 trillion by 2030. However, strong international commitment, coupled with new scientific and technological advances, presents a genuine opportunity to reduce the impact of these and other challenges, making now more than ever an exciting time to work in global health policy or practice. Global health is a fascinating, broad and multidisciplinary field that is underpinned by the desire to improve people’s health and wellbeing worldwide, reduce inequality, inequity and health injustice, and protect communities from global threats, such as conflict, economic crises or preventable diseases which, as Covid-19 has demonstrated, do not respect national borders. Core compulsory and elective modules will give you the skills and knowledge necessary to understand, interpret and help solve critical global health challenges. Students undertaking the MSc or MRes will also be required to complete modules that will prepare you to conduct a high-calibre research project. Past research projects have covered the full spectrum of the discipline – from a clinical project to examine correlation between Covid-19 and HIV conducted here in the UK, for example, to assessment of mental health care provision in rural South Africa and an analysis of the narratives of women imprisoned in Afghanistan and Iraq. We share our site with a major London teaching hospital which is both on the clinical frontline for a diverse local community and a centre of excellence for specialist conditions. You’ll study in a with like-minded individuals, mixing with the many different healthcare professionals you will go on to work alongside throughout your career.