Uganda: Certificate Course in Migration Health

Background

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the School of Social Sciences, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) of Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda have a long standing collaboration on migration health issues. Through this collaboration, a curriculum for a certificate course on Migration Health was developed. In April 2016, the certificate course curriculum and validated through a rigorous TOT training, facilitated by IOM migration health experts and professors of Makerere University. The course targets academic staff, graduate students, policy makers and practitioners in migration health. This course is the first multidisciplinary, university-based program in the region devoted to systematically studying the health consequences of local and international population movements and developing more effective strategies to address them. The certificate course is complementary to the ongoing activities to strengthen integration of migration health into courses taught in the School of Social Sciences and other academic units at Makerere University. The certificate course in migration health is a forerunner to the aforementioned postgraduate programs as well as the Regional Centre for Migration and Health Studies in the School of Social Sciences at Makerere University.

Course Description:

Taking a rights-based approach, the course will prepare graduates to conceptualize and implement health policies and programs related to migration across the world and particularly in the East Africa region. Students will learn up-to-date theories, approaches, and tools, and acquire the skills necessary to successfully work on health issues within the context of migration.

Course Aim:

This certificate course is designed to enhance understanding of the relationship between migration and health and knowledge of the distinctive challenges facing migratory populations. The course is designed to equip trainees with the knowledge and skills necessary to gather, analyze, and disseminate the knowledge needed to conceptualize and implement health policies and programs related to migration and mobility across the world and particularly in the Eastern Africa region Learning Outcomes: • Appreciate key concepts, nature, history, causes, and contexts of migration. • Understand the relationship between migration and health and challenges facing migrants and host populations in various contexts. • Appreciate the nature, impact, and determinants of health during all stages of the migration process. • Understand and apply theoretical frameworks in migration health. • Have the skills and competences critical for promoting migration health.• Understand policy issues and debates in migration and health. • Develop and implement effective migration health policies.

Course Outline:

Topics to be covered include: Unit 1: Foundational concepts in migration and migration health Unit 2 Migration and health discourses Unit 3: Migration health, diseases and conditions of public health concern 1 Unit 4 Social Determinants of Migration Health Unit 5: Social protection (social security) of migrants and health implications Unit 6: Health and human rights of migrants Unit 7: Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Unit 8: Migration and Mental Health Method of Delivery: • Lectures • Discussions and exercises • Documentaries, videos, • Field visits Mode of Assessment: Participants will be undertake a pre-post evaluation and write a brief course paper of not more than 4 pages on a theme relevant to the course that is analytically presented with illustrations or based on a case study. Reference Materials: The reference list includes essential readings and further readings assigned to each Unit of study.

For more Information, Contact:

Dr. Paul Bukuluki, Course Coordinator

Makerere University, School of Social Sciences.

Dr. Francis Mulekya

Course Coordinator, IOM Uganda.

fmulekya@iom.int

IOM Uganda