TP3302B ¨C Health for sustainable communities

Course content

The link between health and economic growth has long been established. The role that health plays, however, in achieving sustainable communities is often overlooked in contexts involving broader environmental, social and economic sustainability measures.

The course aims to illustrate why health represents a cornerstone for sustainable communities and their growth. It focuses on the importance of evaluating health-related impacts and seeks to promote the role of health in an interdisciplinary context.

While traditionally the responsibility of the health sector, this course highlights that symptom-managing health systems are often far from sustainable. Rather, healthy and sustainable communities requires decentralised cooperation where all sectors feel empowered to actively support health and equality in the name of a more sustainable future.

The course can be included as an optional course in UiO's study offer, the Sustainability Certificate. It is suitable for program students in UiO's bachelor's program and five- and six-year integrated study programs.

Learning outcome

The student will learn about current challenges for health sustainability and health equity, and opportunities in the form of goals and solutions that have been utilized in this field. They will also learn how international and local policies shape health sustainability and why health equity and pollution from the health sector are things we need to be concerned about.

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The assignments will prompt the student to identify overlap between local health and sustainability challenges and explore possible policy-related solutions related to their own field of work or study. The student will develop the ability to discuss the health impact of sustainability policies, gain insight into the short- and long-term benefits of decentralised preventive approaches to health care, and understand how health advocacy can be incorporated into the development of wider sustainability agendas.

Additional learning outcomes will include a general understanding of health sustainability within the context of global sustainable growth, and an appreciation of current health goals and efforts that contribute to creating a sustainable future.

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.

The course can be included in a course group of 20 credits belonging to the Sustainability Certificate study program.

Teaching

The course will consist of five seminars (3x three-hour, 2x two-hour) and a field trip. Attendance is expected, and students must attend a minimum of 60% of the course in person (i.e., the seminars/field trip) in order to take the final exam.

The field trip will be to a local medical waste facility. The aim is to highlight current efforts being made to improve the carbon footprint of the health sector.

There will also