Assessment 1

Report

In this assessment, you will produce a 1,000‑word analytical report examining a contemporary global health challenge of your choice (such as climate‑related health impacts, antimicrobial resistance, forced migration and health equity, re‑emerging infectious diseases, or global mental health burdens). Your report should critically analyse the interrelated drivers, patterns, and implications of the selected issue using relevant epidemiological, environmental, social and political frameworks.

A key requirement is to evaluate what is currently being done by global, national, or regional actors to address the challenge. This may include reviewing responses from bodies such as the WHO, UN agencies, international NGOs, national governments, or public health institutions. You should assess the effectiveness, ethical considerations, sustainability, and equity implications of these responses.

Building on this analysis, you will propose clear, evidence‑based recommendations for future action. These recommendations must be justified using high‑quality academic literature, global health policy frameworks, and interdisciplinary insights. As this is a professional written communication task, your report should demonstrate clarity, structure, and strategic use of evidence that is aligned with real‑world policy and practice.

Rationale

This assessment develops critical analysis and evidence‑based problem‑solving skills that are essential for global health practitioners operating at the international, national and regional level of policy formulation. By critiquing current global responses and formulating future recommendations, you will demonstrate advanced understanding of the complex, interconnected factors shaping global health threats. The report format mirrors professional policy writing, requiring precision, coherence, and the ability to translate evidence into realistic and impactful public health actions.

Assessment 2

Delivery:

On‑campus programmes: delivered in person to a live panel or recorded with a schedule

For this assessment, you will deliver a 10‑minute presentation that sets out a digitally enabled strategy for monitoring and responding to a global health threat. You will decide the audience for your presentation—for example, WHO regional teams, a national public health agency, a humanitarian organisation, a philanthropic foundation, or community and civil‑society groups—to tailor your framing, language, and communication style appropriately.

Your presentation must demonstrate the purposeful selection and critical use of digital tools and data analytics approaches to monitor, model, or prioritise responses to the chosen global health issue. Examples may include surveillance dashboards, geospatial mapping platforms, digital early‑warning systems, climate‑health modelling tools, or social‑listening analytics. You are expected to explain why these tools are appropriate, how they support decision‑making, and what methodological or ethical considerations they raise.

You will clearly articulate your proposed response strategy, using visual communication and narrative explanation to convey complex information clearly and persuasively. During the Q&A, you will be expected to defend your analytical decisions, address questions about limitations or uncertainties, and demonstrate a deep understanding of the digital, ethical, and practical dimensions of global health response.

Rationale:

This assessment develops advanced digital literacy, analytical reasoning, and communication skills required of professionals managing global health challenges. The task mirrors real‑world scenarios in which public health practitioners must present data‑driven insights to diverse audiences, justify the use of digital and analytical tools, and translate complex global health intelligence into coherent action plans. The live Q&A component demonstrates competence in defending decisions, responding to critique, and demonstrating situational judgement. These skills are essential for leadership in global health governance, humanitarian response, and health security.

Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases
Climate change and health
Migration and health equity
Antimicrobial resistance
Non-communicable diseases in LMICs
Mental health in global context
Health security, Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response
Environmental health risks
Globalisation and health
Humanitarian health response
Ethics in global health emergencies
Sustainable solutions for global health challenges

1. Critically analyse emerging global health challenges, including pandemics, climate change, and migration, demonstrating a systematic and evidence‑informed understanding of their interrelated causes and implications.

Programme Learning Outcome: Knowledge & Understanding

2. Develop evidence-based responses and recommendations to contemporary global health challenges incorporating ethical, sustainability and equity implications.

Programme Learning Outcome: Application & Problem Solving

3. Apply digital skills and data‑analytics to monitor, model, and prioritise responses to global health threats, demonstrating digital and analytical skills required in managing contemporary global health challenges.

Programme Learning Outcome: Digital Literacy

4. Communicate complex global health issues and solutions effectively to varied audiences using multiple formats.

Programme Learning Outcome: Communication

Lectures on key concepts will be delivered in-person on campus for both the full time and part-time cohorts while the distance learning cohorts will be delivered online. This will be complemented by online group discussions among the students to explore key issues and their relevance in practice. Interactive sessions and critical appraisal of data and policies would be employed. Students will also engage in independent, self-directed learning activities and drop-in support sessions, where needed, will be provided.

Beaglehole, R., Bonita, R. and Horton, R., 2023. Global Health 101: Climate, Pandemics and Inequality. 3rd ed. London: Routledge.

Hanefeld, J. and Walt, G., 2022. Global Health Policy: Responses to Contemporary Challenges. 2nd ed. London: Oxford University Press.

Lang, T., Rayner, G. and Wallace, J., 2024. Planetary Health: Safeguarding Human Wellbeing in the Anthropocene. London: Routledge.

Ventura, D., Thomas, F. and Abubakar, I., 2023. Migration and Global Health: Critical Perspectives for Policy and Practice. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Hoffman, S.J., Silverberg, S. and Patel, R., 2021. Pandemics, Global Health Security and Health Systems. London: Cambridge University Press.