Global Health Education: Best Practice Network

“This is an extremely valuable initiative drawing together health, medical and social care professionals to explore the concepts of global dimensions in education and training. There is a great deal which all professional groups can gain from such discussions both in terms of breaking down professional stereotypes and in moving forward the global education agenda. Although as yet this initiative is not funded but relies on personal interest, already it is proving to be a valuable network.” Dr Katy Newell-Jones, Oxford Brookes School of Health and Social Care

Building on the work of Medact and UCL's International Health and Medical Education Centre, and on our own experience, we identified a gap in communication between stakeholders working in global health education in the UK.  In early 2005 we called for institutions and organisations working in global health education to come together and share their experiences. The network has 2 purposes:

• Networking to ensure a high standard of global health education.
• Advocacy to increase the profile of global health education within the undergraduate curriculum.

The network aims to achieve its purposes through 3 key objectives:

• Share and identify best practice
  Showcasing existing initiatives, programmes and teaching resources on global health education; identifying and disseminating key components of best practice between existing and new audiences.
  
  
• Inter-professional & inter-institutional work
  Opening a channel of communication for inter-professional work in global health education; facilitating communication and dialogue between traditional stakeholders in global health education (eg. medical schools, schools of social care, academic bodies, etc) and non traditional stakeholders (eg. NHS trusts, unions, NGOs, advocacy groups); and supporting new projects for curriculum development and implementing courses.
  
  
• Advocacy
  Linking up with other organisations and institutions advocating for global health education to influence practice and policy for undergraduate education within the health sector. This will create a community which recognises the value of further curriculum policy and curriculum development for global health education.

The Best Practice Network for Global Health draws upon expertise from the full range of academic institutions, academic bodies, voluntary sector, and existing networks, including:

• Higher education institutions (Leicester Medical School, UCL's International Health and Medical Education Centre, Leeds School of Medicine, Leeds Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, Edinburgh, Oxford Brookes School of Health and Social Care)
• Professional bodies (British Medical Association)         
• Voluntary sector (Medact, MedSIN, Skillshare International, Alma Mata)
• Existing networks (NHS links, Oxford Brookes University Global Dimension Network, World Federation of Occupational Therapists).

Network members have agreed these action points for 2006-7:

• Identify key components of best practice.
• Develop a resource pack for global health education.
• Scoping study for exploring the impact of international links upon global health teaching & learning. Click here to download the questionnaire and covering letter.
• Advocacy activities with senior politicans.
• Expand membership of the network.
• Explore funding opportunities to support the network's core activities.