Course description
Overview
Health systems are devised to provide an appropriate response, with equitable access, to the health needs of the population and also to protect from the consequences of ill health. The challenge is that this needs to be implemented whilst ensuring the balance with appropriate use of available resources. The resulting outcome; when disproportionately distributed and implemented, as is often the case, leads to the weakening or even breakdown of service delivery.
Eye care has traditionally been established as an entity separate from the rest of health care, although the VISION 2020 strategy has extensively promoted the integration of eye care services. Through the progressive introduction of health system concepts to eye care, there is an increasing need for better understanding of how eye health systems function under the key building blocks that influence a health system and its consequences.
This course will aim to provide an understanding of synergy between the building blocks for health systems and VISION 2020 and its application at a local level.
TARGET GROUPS: SIZE, LOCATION, CHARACTERISTICS
The course is intended for ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists and allied professionals working in eye health and health planners and managers, NGO staff both from the developing and developed world, who intend to work in this field in a developing country, or are already doing so and wish to extend their knowledge.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
Participants should hold a degree in any aspect of health sciences or international development at Bachelors level or higher from a recognised university, and should be working or planning to work in the developing world.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES
The primary purpose of this intensive 5-day course is to familiarise participants with a health systems approach to eye care for communities in developing countries, through the use of practical interactive examples and case studies. The course is taught by experts who come from or have lived and worked in developing countries.
Learning Objectives
- To review the various concepts related to health systems and the six building blocks of the WHO framework.
- To gain knowledge of the VISION 2020 key components and strategies.
- To understand the guideline on eye care health systems assessment.
- To explore the main characteristics of eye care interventions in developing countries (facility-based, outreach, community based activities, horizontal versus vertical).
- To understand the main health systems-related challenges of international eye care in various areas: financing, human resources, health information system, governance, service delivery, and technology.
- To determine the need for and how to set up an eye care programme based on the analysis of the capacities of a local eye health system.
Learning outcomes
The seminar outline can be downloaded here
At the end of this five-day course, the students should be able to:
- Define the six building blocks of a health system
- Assess the capacities of a health system
- Translate a situation analysis into concrete strategic directions
- Recommend an adequate eye care intervention in function of a health systems and eye health systems situation analysis
Through a review of literature, the students will critically analyse several perspectives on health systems. At the end of the week, the students, organized in small groups, will submit and present a proposal outlining the main activities of a health programme and explain the rationale for choosing such an intervention. The exercise will be based on a real case study.
Teaching Methods
Teaching will be through a mixture of interactive lectures, case studies, discussions, and group and individual exercises. A list of pre-course reading and a course manual will be provided.
How to apply
Please apply using the