The aim of the course is to empower participants to develop more integrated and better adapted health systems. At the end of the course the participants should be able to present a clear vision on the problems their health system faces and to spell out alternatives for action.

“System” is understood as the grounds on which all players (professionals, government institutions, public and private oriented non-governmental organisations, the public …) that have a stake in the provision of health care act, as well as the relations and agreements they develop. Whether this ensemble of actors evolves towards achieving better population’s health depends upon the inner-system’s strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threads from outside. A system however should be capable of continuously adapting to the changing environment. New policies like liberalisation and decentralisation, emerging health problems like obesity, specific challenges like generalising treatment for AIDS patients are but three examples of current evolutions.

The course is experience based. This means that via lectures, seminars, group work and discussions, review of literature and individual assignments, participants are invited to review the organization and functioning of a system they have been working in. Their thesis work is the result of this analytical process and includes an argued and realistic action or research plan.

Claire Van Maerken
Tel: +32 (0)3 247 63 09
Fax: +32 (0)3 247 65 43
Email: education@itg.be
Email : HSMP-PMSS@itg.be
Internet: Click here

Eva Vervecken
Tel: +32 (0)3 2476300
Fax: +32 (0)3 2476452
Email: SCART@itg.be
Internet: click here

The postgraduate course in Tropical Medicine and International Health provides health professionals with a broad and interdisciplinary training. It combines clinical and biomedical knowledge and skills with a systemic approach to health care organization and disease control. The broad perspective of international health policy and specific inputs from social sciences will help students grasp the complex picture of health and health care in low-resource settings. The integration of these different disciplines is a key feature of the programme.

Module 1: Introduction to International Health (15 weeks – 20 credits).
The situation of health, health problems and health care in this fast moving, globalizing world is extremely diverse and difficult to capture with the language of medicine alone, both in terms of assessment of the situation and of action to be developed. Problems range from the rather simple, technical kind, where evidence is available on what to do, over more challenging ones such as dealing with human beings in healthcare organisations to the very complex processes of decision making at national and international policy levels, involving values, interests and power.

Module 2: Clinical and biomedical sciences of tropical diseases (8 weeks-10 credits)
Module 2 provides a specialised training on tropical diseases for medical doctors on the one hand and biomedical scientists and pharmacists on the other. Its main aim is to provide health professionals from non-tropical countries an additional training in the diagnosis and management of tropical diseases, topics which are not or only minimally covered by university undergraduate curricula.

Titania Vandevelde
Email: tmih@itg.be
Tel: +32 (0)3 247 66 61
Fax : +32 (0)3 247 65 73
Internet: Click here

Le module Sciences Cliniques et Biomédicales de Maladies Tropicales offre aux professionnels de la santé de pays non-tropicaux une formation additionnelle en diagnostic et prise de décision de maladies tropicales, puisque ce genre de formation n’est pas ou peu couvert par les curricula universitaires. Professionnels de santé du Sud pourraient trouver ce cours une mise à jour de leurs connaissances acquises antérieurement.
Ce module est indépendant; pourtant, combiné avec l’introduction à la santé internationale, c’est un cours post graduat en médecine tropicale et santé internationale. Nous conseillons aux médecins et scientifiques biomédicaux et pharmaceutiques ayant peu ou pas d’expérience dans les pays en développement, de suivre les deux modules.

Titania Vandevelde
Tel: +32 (0)3 247 66 61
Fax: +32 (0)3 247 65 73
Email: tmih@itg.be
Internet: Click here

Students receive up-to-date training in specific reproductive health problems, as well as the necessary elements for the formulation of integrated strategies. The focus is on the appraisal of the public health importance of reproductive health and the development of specific control methods, with an emphasis on integrated strategies and intersectoral collaboration.

The main themes covered include: • HIV/AIDS • Sexually Transmitted Infections; • Family planning and unsafe abortion; • Maternal Health; • Project Cycle Management & Logical Framework. After completion of the course, participants will have learned how to: • Assess the importance of the different components of reproductive health problems; • Develop and prioritise specific strategies for prevention and control; • Implement those strategies within existing health structures with the focus on accessibility, affordability and sustainability; • Monitor and evaluate reproductive health programmes.

1 March - 14 May 2010 in English (yearly alternating French / English)

Marianne Hilgert
Tel : +32 (0)3 247 64 71
F ax : +32 (0)3 247 62 57
Email : MDC-MCM@itg.be
Internet: Click here

September 2010 in French (yearly alternating French / English)

September 2010 in French (yearly alternating French / English)

Danielle Debois, Nadia Ehlinger
Tel: +32 (0)3 24 76 266
Fax: +32 (0)3 24 76 268
Emial: MSTAH-MSSAT@itg.be
Internet: Click here

1 March - 23 April 2010 in English (yearly alternating French / English)

The target group for this 8-weeks course are professionals involved in policy formulation and implementation at regional, national or international level working in health care, supervising, regulating or advocacy organisations or institutions (government or nongovern-mental). The course is experience-based. At the end participants present their analysis of and proposed solutions for a policy problem they experience during their professional practice.

Applicants who completed their university studies in another language than English or French may be asked for proof of knowledge of the course language. Those attending the French course must have also have a working knowledge of English.

Claire Van Maerken
Tel: +32 (0)3 24 76 309
Fax: +32 (0)3 24 76 543
Emial: HSMP-PMSS@itg.be
Internet: Click here or http://www.itg.be/internet/courses0910/table.html?RND=454925776

The European Course in Tropical Epidemiology (ECTE) is a short course organised by several European centres of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. It is held annually at different European venues, including London, Goteborg, Antwerp, and others (see list below). The lecturers and facilitators for the course are lecturers of these centres of excellence for research in the tropics and have extensive teaching and research experience. This is an intensive course in basic epidemiology and is intended for physicians, nurses, biologists, anthropologists, health programme managers and other professionals with an interest in tropical countries.

Learning Objectives: The course provides participants with basic epidemiological and statistical skills for the assessment of health problems, service delivery and planning of field studies, and provides links to social science, economics and computing skills which are often used in epidemiological studies. The emphasis of the course is on the practical application of tools for use in developing countries, the interpretation of data and reporting of operational studies. A comprehensive course manual is provided at the beginning of the course. The course will follow material found in the recommended textbooks but these are not essential.

August 16th - September 5th 2010

The course is appropriate for those without formal training in epidemiology or statistics. However the course is intensive and applicants should have a good command of English.

Internet: http://www.ecte.org/index.aspx

eSCART offers the basic knowledge needed to provide antiretroviral treatment to HIV patients in low-resource settings by health care professionals; it is designed as an e-learning course, divided into thirteen modules.

Content:
Block 1: Introduction into HIV infection Natural evolution/Virology& Immunology
Block 2: Antiretroviral treatment - first line therapy ARV introduction/ Side effects /Drug interactions/ TB-HIV infection/ Monitoring patients on treatment, including adherence
Block 3: Public Health aspects Set-up, monitoring and evaluation of an ART Program
Block 4: Antiretroviral treatment - second line therapy When to switch to second line regimen/ Resistance
Block 5: Antiretroviral treatment - special indications PMTCT/ Pediatrics/ PEP

December 2010

• regular access to the internet, ability to open this link (http://telemedicine.itg.be) in less than 5 minutes, PC with CD Rom reader, Speakers / headset

Please contact Annick Moonen Annick Moonen Scart and Escart administrator Institut of Tropical Medicine Nationalestraat 155 - B-2000 Antwerpen Belgium
Email: amoonen@itg.be
Internet: http://www.itg.be/internet/e-learning/demo.html?RND=91445864