General description

The course provides an overview of the structure and function of different health and social protection systems.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of the course, the students will
- be familiar with the structure and function of different health and social protection systems
- understand the various financing strategies of the systems
- be able to identify the basic questions related to the governance of the systems
- comprehend how the systems have emerged and how they have evolved
- have an understanding of the politics and different policies related to the systems
- be familiar with the future challenges and questions

Contents

Global health systems are under pressure due to the increasing demand for care and rising costs. Governments have agreed on Sustainable Development Goals including affordable, high quality Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Which services to provide and which not, how to ensure quality and how to organize a health system and manage it, are key questions. There are pros and cons to the varying financing strategies. Topics such as to what level can the health of a population actually be achieved through health services are addressed. What is the role of health policies? How could we increase the inter-sectoral cooperation for health?

Social Protection Systems (SPS) emerged in Western countries over a hundred years ago. Together with the pressures of ageing, globalization, public deficit and the other usual suspects, there has been some retrenchment of social and health policies. However, in absolute terms, more resources are devoted to social protection than ever before. At the same time various systems of social protection and social protection floors are mushrooming all over the globe. Furthermore, either directly or indirectly, regional and global forms of social protection guidelines are now established international practice (e.g. world commission of social development, sustainable development). How these institutions evolve, how they are funded, and how sustainable they are socially and fiscally, is a matter of global importance.

Evaluation

Belongs to following study modules

2018–2019

Teaching

Archived Teaching Schedule. Please refer to current Teaching Shedule.

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