Health in Humanitarian Crises from FutureLearn

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more The course will be particularly relevant to healthcare practitioners and NGO staff, especially those in low- and middle-income countries affected by armed conflict, natural disasters and disease outbreaks. It will also be valuable to individuals studying health or development and to anyone with an interest in the challenges of delivering healthcare in a crisis setting. You can use the hashtag #FLHealthCrises to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

The main health needs of populations in humanitarian crises
Cross-cutting health issues, such as disability, the elderly, and women and girls
The challenges of healthcare delivery in crisis situations
Humanitarian principles, coordination mechanisms, and codes of conduct
Data collection, response planning, and prioritisation of health interventions
Sector-specific health interventions, including mental health, NCDs, sexual health, and nutrition
Ethical considerations around conducting research, evidence-informed decision making, and evaluating health programmes
Historic, current, and emerging trends in humanitarian health
Ideas surrounding the future of humanitarianism
Current innovations in humanitarian action.

Reviews summary

Comprehensive guide to humanitarian health challenges

According to learners, this course offers a highly comprehensive and relevant overview of health in humanitarian crises. Students praised its well-structured modules, expert insights, and real-world case studies that effectively illustrate complex issues. Many found the content on ethical considerations, coordination mechanisms, and specific health interventions particularly invaluable and directly applicable to their work. While providing a robust foundational understanding ideal for those new to the field, a few experienced professionals noted it was more theoretical than practical for advanced learners. Minor feedback included desire for more recent updates and occasional inconsistent video quality or broken external links.

Delivered by knowledgeable instructors with authoritative insights.

"I particularly appreciated the diverse range of expert speakers and the real-world case studies, which brought the complex issues to life."

"The instructors were knowledgeable and presented the material clearly. I gained a much deeper appreciation for the coordination efforts required..."

"Absolutely brilliant course from LSHTM. The content is authoritative, well-researched, and critically important."

Ideal for building a solid understanding of humanitarian health.

"Excellent course for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of health in crisis settings. The structure is logical..."

"I gained a much deeper appreciation for the coordination efforts required and the ethical dilemmas involved. Highly recommend for both beginners..."

"Overall, a strong course providing a robust foundation in humanitarian health. The coverage of cross-cutting issues like disability and gender was particularly strong..."

Provides a broad and relevant understanding of humanitarian health.

"This course provided an incredibly comprehensive overview of health in humanitarian crises. The content was highly relevant..."

"The depth of coverage on various health needs and specific interventions like mental health and nutrition was impressive."

"As an NGO worker, I found the information on humanitarian principles and coordination mechanisms directly applicable to my work."

"It's a foundational course that covers a vast array of topics, from disease outbreaks to natural disasters, always with a focus on health."

Some older materials may need updating for current relevance.

"Some of the content could benefit from more recent updates on emerging trends, though it remains highly relevant."

"The video quality for some lectures was also a bit inconsistent."

"The course material is generally high quality, though some visuals felt a little dated. Some external links provided for further reading were broken..."

Offers strong theory but may lack hands-on application for experienced professionals.

"I felt it lacked practical application for experienced professionals. I was hoping for more hands-on scenarios or detailed strategies..."

"It's great for those new to the humanitarian sector, but perhaps less so for those with years of experience looking for advanced insights."

"While it gives a good overview, I felt the practical takeaways were limited for someone already in the field. It's more theoretical than practical..."

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