Chronic diseases in humanitarian contexts (thematic short course)

This one-week short course provides mid-level and senior managers with the knowledge and skills required to understand the particular challenges presented by chronic diseases in emergency and/or unstable settings; and to conceive a programme to address chronic diseases adapted to specific contexts and as an integral part of health programmes. Humanitarian staff are often confronted with chronic diseases, particularly when crises hit populations from middle-income countries and in urban settings. However, as programmatic responses are relatively recent, there is a lack of trained and experienced staff. To fill this gap, CERAH offers a one-week intensive course on chronic diseases in humanitarian contexts. This course is developed jointly with MSF, WHO, ICRC and UNHCR.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the concept of chronicity and identify the main chronic diseases, with a particular focus on on non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
• Identify and assess the extent of NCDs in a specific context
• Conceive a programme to address the needs of people with NCDs during a humanitarian emergency

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

More specifically, students will be able to:

In terms of knowledge:

• Define chronicity and specific challenges in humanitarian settings
• Understand the need to address NCDs in humanitarian settings
• Identify the most important NCDs encountered in humanitarian settings
• Understand the challenge and constraints of building a comprehensive response for the prevention and control of NCDs
• Identify research needs to further improve programmatic approaches to NCDs in humanitarian settings

In terms of skills:

• Assess the extent of NCDs and related needs
• Prioritise the response to NCDs based on evidence
• Define the minimal operational requirements to start an NCD programme
• Define the building blocks of a programme to address the needs of people with NCDs during a humanitarian emergency
• Describe how novel care approaches for HIV/AIDS in very resource-constrained settings (incl. integration of services at delivery point, decentralisation, task shifting) could be applicable to NCDs

THEMATIC SHORT COURSE STRUCTURE

- One week intensive training (60 hours including private study)
- Oral or written exam, individually or in a group
- 2 ECTS credits may be awarded provided a post-course assignment is successfully completed

REGISTRATION DEADLINE

2 weeks before the start of the course
Note: If you need a visa, registration 6 weeks before the start of the course.