Course Description

Public health systems are facing increasing challenges, including demographic change, the growing burden of chronic diseases, emerging infectious diseases, rising healthcare costs, and persistent health inequalities. Understanding how different countries respond to these challenges requires not only knowledge of health systems, but also the ability to critically evaluate policies, data,  and outcomes across contexts. 

This course introduces students to the principles of public health through a comparative perspective with a specific focus on the United States and Italy. Students will examine how each system has developed, how healthcare is financed and governed, and how institutional, cultural, and political factors shape health policies and population health outcomes. 

Through a series of case studies, such as infectious disease control, chronic disease prevention, environmental health, and health inequalities, students will compare how public health challenges are addressed in different contexts. These comparisons will be supported by the analysis of key indicators, including morbidity, mortality, access to care, costs, and quality of services. 
Particular attention will be given to health disparities and the role of social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic status, migration, gender, environmental conditions, and governance. Students  will develop the ability to interpret epidemiological data, assess the quality of evidence used in public health decision-making, and critically evaluate public health interventions and policies.
By the end of the course, students will be able to compare health systems, analyze the factors that shape health outcomes, and apply a critical, evidence-based perspective to contemporary public health challenges. 

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Measures 

Below are the course’s learning outcomes, followed by the methods that will be used to assess students’ achievement for each learning outcome. By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify [define and apply] key concepts and frameworks in public health and population health outcomes  (Weekly Quiz, Course Journal);
• Interpret basic epidemiological indicators and public health data used to measure population health outcomes (Course Journal,Course Journal);
• Analyze the role of social, environmental, and political determinants in shaping health inequalities across countries (Weekly Quiz, Course Journal);
• Compare and critically assess  the organization, performance, and outcomes of public health systems, in Italy and the United States (Final Presentation);
• Develop and communicate a comparative analysis of a contemporary public health issue using scholarly literature and empirical evidence  (Final Presentation).