Health Development in LAC

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have enjoyed a long history of engaging in health-related research and training, with several of the region’s medical schools tracing their origins to the early period of colonization by Spain and Portugal. The Pan American Sanitary Bureau, founded in 1902, was the first institution dedicated to regional cooperation on health in the world, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), as it is now known, predates the World Health Organization (WHO) by half a century. Yet despite notable achievements in the areas of health research and cooperation, regional disparities in health status, spending on health, and access to care remain. The legacies of European colonialism and African slavery have had profound implications for regional health outcomes, with members of indigenous communities and Afro-descendent populations most marginalized within the health sector. At the same time, economic philosophies such as liberalism and neo-liberalism, on the one hand, and revolutionary political movements focused on social equity, on the other, have influenced the structure of health systems and decision-making. The region’s experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, when mortality rates in several countries were among the highest in the world, makes discussions an exploration of the unique factors shaping health and development in Latin America and the Caribbean especially compelling. In this interdisciplinary course, students will explore the history, politics, and culture of health in Latin America and the Caribbean. Although topics will expose students to experiences across the region, most readings, assignments, and discussion will focus on Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, and the Andean region.