PEACE-MED

Undergraduate Course: Health Diplomacy and Global Peace in the Polycrisis Era

Who it is for: 4th-year undergraduate medical students, NKUA Medical School

Duration: Spring semester | 3 academic years

Format: Hybrid (in-person and online)

Course overview: This course introduces students to the intersection of health and peace, exploring how health diplomacy can serve as a tool for conflict resolution and international cooperation. It highlights the evolution of EU actors and policies and their impact on peacemaking and peacekeeping.

Topics include:

• Introduction to health diplomacy
• The role of the EU as a catalyst for change
• Key global health actors: WHO, NGOs, governments
• Health as a bridge for peace: health initiatives in conflict resolution frameworks
• Case studies: smallpox eradication, Ebola response, Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza
• Conflict and health systems: public health in conflict zones and post-conflict reconstruction
• Addressing health inequities as a peacebuilding strategy
• Engaging stakeholders in peace-making through health initiatives
• Ethical and cultural considerations for health interventions