INNO 603 Health Systems: Innovations for Universal Health Care

A detailed examination and understanding of modern health systems and their multi-layered structures is needed to achieve the goals set out by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. This course will provide students an introduction to health systems and how the historical, cultural, political and economic context impacts their funding, design and performance. The students will acquire the knowledge and skills to think critically on how health systems operate in middle and low-income countries and how to address the particular determinants of health of these settings.

Special emphasis will be given to the case of Costa Rica and how it developed its social security system and one of the most effective primary health care systems in the world. Focus points will be on innovations for equity in health access, healthier communities through health promotion and the use of IT in health care. The students will participate in discussions with an interdisciplinary faculty and with policymakers involved in the design and development of the health system in Costa Rica.