Introduction to Global Health Diplomacy

What is global health and why is it so important? Who is involved and what health related goals has the international community in the last decenia been able to achieve? These aspects, and many more, will be touched upon in the first session of the masterclass Global Health Diplomacy.

The first speaker will be Menno Smit, Pediatric resident in the Amsterdam UMC and associate professor at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. After that Godelieve van Heteren, doctor and former member of the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer), will speak to us about her expertise in governance and the chances in the international health systems.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

The Netherlands is often known as a frontrunner when it comes to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). But also here in the Netherlands there are plenty of subjects to work on and how does the Netherlands react to SRHR-policies in other countries that sometimes are the opposite of the Dutch policy? These are some of the subjects that will be discussed in this session.

In the second part of the session you will receive a training in pitching, bringing a message across in a short and concise matter. A skill that is indispensable in the world of (health)policy.

Health equity

Everyone should have access to healthcare. While this may sound obvious, it isn’t always the case. Why is this? What does it mean when we talk about health equity and access to health care? These are some of the questions we will address in this session.

Culture is also an important part of access to healthcare, which is why culture and how this translates to access to healthcare will be discussed in more depth in this session.

Planetary health

Since the last century Planetary Health is a subject that is mentioned more and more often in the news. From the Tsjernobyl disaster till the ebola-epidemic, the health of the planet and that of humans has proven to be inseparable. But what does the term Planetary Health mean exactly? And what are, other that the visible consequences, the so-called “silent killers”?

This session is the ideal introduction in Planetary Health for future healthcare professionals. The current strategies and possible solutions will be discussion by experts. Experts like Remco van de Pas, doctor, senior research associate at the Centre for Planetary Health Policy in Berlin and lecturer in global health at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. After that, Philip Elders, doctor, former youth delegate of IFMSA-NL to the WHA and alumni at Oxford University.

Health in emergencies

The war in Ukraine and the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria make emergencies a subject in daily conversations. These emergencies impact healthcare and during an emergency healthcare is also needed. Märit Halmin (researcher at the prestigious Karolinska Institutet (KI) at the department "Centre for Health Crises" and doctor, specialised in anesthesiology and the ICU) will tell us more about these topics. Aside from her work at the KI where she is mainly occupied by giving healthcare in critical situations with only little resources, she has also done fieldwork at Doctors without Borders in (among others) Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria and she worked for the WHO in Lebanon.

Review of the World Health Assembly and WHA simulation

In the first five sessions we tried to touch upon many subjects in global health and health policy. This all comes together in the World Health Assembly that takes place in Geneva at the end of may. Together with Elena Alam, youth delegate of IFMSA-NL to the WHA, we will recap her experiences and the topics that have been discussed at the WHA.

After that you will take part in a true “WHA-simulation”, where you will present different countries, NGO’s or other organisation with each their own interests. You will have to discuss, give statements and eventually vote to reach a decision.