DV444 Half Unit
Global Health Challenges: Epidemics, Disease, and Public Health Response
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Dr Arjan Gjonca
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in China in Comparative Perspective, MSc in Development Management (Political Economy), MSc in Development Management (Political Economy) (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Economic Policy for International Development, MSc in Global Health Policy, MSc in Health and International Development, MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies, MSc in Political Economy of Late Development and MSc in Social Research Methods. This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: Places will be allocated with priority to ID and joint-degree students. If there are more ID and joint-degree students than DV444 can accommodate, these places will be allocated randomly. Non-ID/Joint Degree students will be allocated to spare places by random selection with the preference given first to those degrees where the regulations permit this option.
Deadline for application: You should make your request to take ID courses by 12 noon Friday 26 September 2025.
You will be informed of the outcome by 12 noon Monday 29 September 2025.
Students do not need to write a statement to apply for this course.
For queries contact: intdev.enquiries@lse.ac.uk
Course content
This course aims at looking at some of the major global health challenges in the 21st century. The course analysis health challenges from a multidisciplinary approach including public health, demography, and development studies. The relationship between epidemics, diseases and the public health policies are core to the content of the course. The course takes an interest on population causes and consequences of diseases and epidemics. It focuses mainly on the social and environmental determinants of epidemics and disease pattern in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, the course does this in a comparative perspective to high income countries. The course uses both evidence-based and theoretical approaches, such as epidemiological and nutritional transitions. Another important aspect of the course is that it sheds light on the future of global health challenges as a result of anticipated population health changes.
Some of the main topics covered are: Epidemics and pandemics in historical perspective; the effects of pandemics in the overall health and mortality patterns of populations; Covid 19 pandemic - characteristics and the public health response to it; obesity and undernourishment as public health challenges; The increased global burden of mental health, environmental challenges and the impact on health; the relationship of migration and health and its effect on urban population.
Teaching
15 hours of seminars and 16.5 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.
There will be a revision session in AT11.
Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6.
Formative assessment
Presentation
Essay (1500 words)
Students are expected to contribute in seminars and submit a 1,500-word formative essay in AT.
Indicative reading
Jamison, D. T., Summers, L. H., Alleyne, G., Arrow, K. J., Berkley, S., Binagwaho, A., ... & Yamey, G. (2013). Global health 2035: a world converging within a generation. The lancet, 382(9908), 1898-1955.
Butler, C. (Ed.). (2016). Climate change and global health. CABI.
Tripathi, A. D., Mishra, R., Maurya, K. K., Singh, R. B., & Wilson, D. W. (2019). Estimates for world population and global food availability for global health. In The role of functional food security in global health (pp. 3-24). Academic Press.
McMichael T (2001) Human Frontiers, environment and disease. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Merson, MH, Black, ER, Mills, AJ. (2012) Global Health: Diseases, Programmes, Systems, and Policies, London: Jones & Barlett Learning; Caldwell JC.
Vaughan, Megan, et al., editors. (2021) Epidemiological Change and Chronic Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: Social and Historical Perspectives. UCL Press
Taubenberger, J.K. and Morens, D.M. (2006) “1918 Influenza: the Mother of All Pandemics”; Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 12, No. 1, January 2006, pp. 15-22
Patel, V., et al. (2018). “The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development.” THE LANCET 392(10157): 1553-1598. [Open access, available at https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/global-mental-health]
Popkin, B.M. (2001) The Nutrition Transition and Obesity in the Developing World. Journal of Nutrition 131(3)
Montgomery MR. (2008) The health of urban populations in developing countries. New York, New York, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division
Assessment
Essay (100%, 3000 words)
The word count includes the body of the essay. It excludes title, headers, bibliography, list of abbreviations, appendices; it includes footnotes/endnotes and everything else.
Key facts
Department: International Development
Course Study Period: Autumn Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 27
Average class size 2024/25: 14
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Leadership
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills
- Specialist skills