PUBH6003 Health systems and Economics - Assessment 1

Assessment 1: Report Applying Systems Thinking in Public health

To prepare for this assessment, choose one public health issue (e.g. diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, mental health, substance misuse, air pollution, water and sanitation, road accidents, suicide, etc.) in any country and examine how systems thinking can help to identify the broader system issues, and recommend solutions for better management. This is a research-based assignment which requires to conduct literature review on the selected topic on the specific country context.

Then in approximately 1500 words (+/- 10%), please answer the following questions considering your selected public health issue and country context.

• Describe the public health issue from systems thinking perspective (consider all direct and indirect factors and explain the complexity of the issues or interconnectedness of the issues)
• Explain the roles of stakeholders, both within the health system and in other sectors in addressing this issue (consider intersectoral action perspective)
• Drawing on research evidence, explain the obstacles (e.g. lack of cooperation among stakeholders or lack of shared vision and leadership, feedback delay, lack of healthy policy, fragile and fragmented health system, funding limitation, time constraints) that are preventing the application of systems thinking and intersectoral approach to the issue.
• Based on the identified obstacles and literature, offer suggestions (e.g. developing shared vision, cooperation and leadership, policy change or reform, creating supportive environment, strengthening, and reorienting health system, increased budget allocation, empowering community and individuals) for how systems thinking and an intersectoral approach could be applied to the issue.