Bulletin

Issue: November/December 2005

News

A 'people's university' to improve third world health

Dr David Legge, Associate Professor in Public Health, has played a prominent role in setting up a 'virtual' university to improve health in the Third World.

A specialist in the politics and economics of Third World primary health care, Dr Legge is academic convenor of the newly established International People's Health University (IPHU).

IPHU was launched, and conducted its first course, at the Second Assembly of the People’s Health Movement at the University of Cuenca, Ecuador, in July this year.

Dr Legge says the People’s Health Movement is a world-wide coalition of 'grass roots' health initiatives and socially progressive groups committed to working for the health and rights of disadvantaged people and, ultimately, for all people.

IPHU is a virtual university, with no campus or staff of its own. However, Dr Legge expects it to become a 'real force' in developing and teaching health-associated courses and in packaging courses for established universities.

Dr Legge says the first People's Health Assembly was in Bangladesh in 2000 where the concept of an international health university was raised. PHM works on local and global issues and in dialogue with the World Health Organisation.

One of IPHU's prime aims is to develop, resource and conduct short courses for health activists from Third World countries. These include accredited courses and educational material for use by local institutions.

'Our long term aim is to build up a co-operative research and teaching network in relation to health policies and practices in Third World countries.'

Dr Legge taught two units in the first course, Primary Health Care and the Political Economy of Health, held in conjunction with the Cuenca Assembly. The units dealt with macro-economicsand health and global institutions shaping health policy.

He will teach other IPHU courses, planned for Bangladesh, South Africa, Egypt and Greece during the next 18 months.