A Healthcare Students Introduction to Global Health

Professor Alison Fiander was appointed Chair of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Cardiff University in 2002. Having worked in Sub-Saharan Africa for 4 years earlier in her career, Alison has a passionate commitment to mitigating global maternal mortality and morbidity. In 2015, Alison left Cardiff University to serve as the Clinical Lead for the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG) Leading Safe Choices programme, imparting sexual reproductive health training to healthcare professionals in Tanzania and South Africa. She subsequently became the Clinical Lead for the RCOG Centre for Global Women's Health overseeing the development of the RCOG Essential Gynaecology Skills course (now renamed Gynaecological Health Matters) for Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMIC).

Alison retired from the RCOG in 2018 but continues work as an independent consultant in Global Women's Health in addition to teaching global health to both undergraduates and postgraduates and directing an on-line postgraduate diploma/MSc in International Women's Health.

Ms Grace Fry is a final year medical student at Cardiff University. She has a longstanding interest in Global Health, especially the health of refugee and asylum seekers. She is keen that these topics gain greater prominence in the undergraduate curriculum.  

As a member of 'Students for Global Health' society committee, she co-organised a Cardiff University conference titled "Refugees: Welcome Here" in 2022. She is also a keen linguist and traveller, undertaking her Women, Child and Family medical placement in Nantes, France. On graduating, she plans to complete a Global Health/Women's Health MSc with the intention of working in this field in the future. 

Preface and introduction.- What is global health?.- Changing demographics and disease burden in LRC.- The global burden of disease.- The impact of non-communicable disease in low- and middle-income countries.- Urbanization and implications for health.- Conflict and health.- Humanitarian aid.- Refugee and asylum seeker health.- Planetary health is more important than individual health?.- The climate crisis is a health crisis.- Environment and health.- The shortage of healthcare workers in LRC.- Aid: a blessing or a curse?.- Malaria.- Neglected Tropical disease.- Maternal health in LRC.- Reproductive sexual health.- The importance of gender equality.- Child health in LRC.- Nutrition in LRC.- Mental Health in Low Resource Countries (LRC) x2.- Trauma, road traffic accidents and burns in LRC.- Cancer in LRC.- Palliative care in LRC.- Disability in LRC.- Disability and health in LMIC with a focus on visual impairment.- The role of post placental contraception in improving maternal health in Uganda?.