Diploma in International Health

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In recent decades, key threats to health are increasingly seen as being outside the direct influence of the health sector, unfairly distributed across social classes, influenced by factors that cross national boundaries, and arising from complex social, cultural, political, and environmental factors. Thus, they need to be dealt with in the broader context of economic and social development within and across nations, and addressed through international and inter-sectoral action. It is in this context of global health safety that international health finds its relevance. International health is a field focusing on public health across regional or national boundaries. It seeks to (a) understand health problems in a global context; (b) compare factors that affect the health of people in resource-poor and transitional economies around the world; and (c) develop means of disease reduction and health protection and promotion for these populations. The program is designed for medical and other professionals working in the field of health and development like nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, allied medical professions, social work and related fields. It is intended for both entering and mid-career health professionals who are looking for graduate-level education and training that will prepare them for supervisory work in government health departments, local and international non-government organizations engaged in health and development work. The Diploma in International Health (DIH) and Master of International Health (MIH) are ladderized programs. A student who graduates with a degree in DIH may opt to pursue a degree in MIH by taking up additional 12 units after fulfilling the admission requirements for MIH.

PROGRAM GOALS
The programs aim to develop international health professionals who are able to: 1. Design health programs that address significant global health problems and issues (eg. pandemics, industrial accidents, disasters, health effects of environmental change) that are informed by a critical understanding of the global political, economic, environmental, and cultural systems and how these relate to health and development; 2. Implement services that work in a global context for health promotion and development in accordance with international and local policies, directions, and ethical standards; 3. Evaluate health development programs and strategies across different settings, both local and international, whether rural or urban, especially in middle- and low-resource countries; and 4. Engage in effective collaboration with important international organizations as well as non government organizations for the improvement of health, taking into account the interplay of political, economic, environmental, and cultural factors in different development settings especially in middle- and lowresource countries. In addition to the aforementioned program goals, the MIH program also aims to develop international health professionals who are able to contribute to the continuously evolving discipline of international health through research generation.

Admission Requirements
Applicants must:

be graduates of approved medical schools or graduates with professional training in nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, allied medical professions, social work and related fields, with at least a baccalaureate degree in science;

have at least one (1) year experience or previous training in the field of public health as evidenced by a certificate of training or employment describing the nature of the applicants work; comply with other admission requirements set by the Admissions Committee. Applicants must submit: an official transcript of records a certified true copy of the college diploma an updated curriculum vitae a certificate of training or employment describing the nature of the applicants work

Curriculum
The Diploma program consists of 24 units of course work: three of which are core courses (9 units), four major courses (12 units) in more focused health areas, and one cognate course (3 units). Core Courses (9 units) IH201 International Health and Development (3 units) Introduction to health, social, cultural, and economic development issues IH 202 Global Disease Epidemiology and Control (3 units) Overview of emergence, epidemiology and control of common diseases that have global impact. IH 203 International Health Laws and Regulations (3 units) Overview of international health laws and regulations Major courses Students must take any four of these major courses: IH 211 Health Promotion Theory (3 units) Introduction to theories, models, and principles of health promotion IH 212 Health Promotion Practice (3 units) Health promotion practice with regard to priority public health conditions and global health priorities IH 213 Health Promotion for Equity and Sustainable Developmen (3 units) Application of health promotion concepts and principles in addressing problems of global health, equity, and sustainable development IH 214 Health Promotion Leadership and Management (3 units) Principles and styles of leadership, and management skills in health promotion IH 221 Health Service Development and Management (3 units) Overview of frameworks and models for health systems development and management IH 222 Healthcare Policy and Governance (3 units) Analysis of governance and policy frameworks for improving population health IH 223 Human Resource Management in Health (3 units) Analysis of key issues in health human resource management IH 224 Health Financing (3 units) Development of health financing systems and institutions in resource-poor settings Cognate IH 231 Health Information Systems (3 units) Management and organization of health-related information for improved health care delivery

Program of study
The DIH can be completed in two years with a normal load of six units per semester following this program of study: Year Year 1 First Semester Total of 12 units Core Course 1 Major Course 1 Total of 12 units Core Course 3 Major Course 3 Second Semester Core Course 2 Major Course 2 Cognate Course Major Course 4

Year 2