IDIS W49 Partnering in Health Promotion in Nigeria

This interprofessional course will be in Nigeria at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Sub Sahara Africa with an estimated 182 million people. Students will be exposed to Nigerian health care, religion, and educational systems. Students’ experience will be at both urban and rural sites.

The course offers a unique opportunity to see community health care in action in Nigeria, a developing country not normally part of Calvin’s interim offerings. Bearing the weight of poor access to quality health care, especially among the rural dwellers, as well as the problems of high maternal and infant mortality, the preclinical education at the College of Health Sciences, Bowen University, runs an interprofessional program. Students will have classroom sessions aimed at learning about tropical infectious diseases, their prevention and management, and pregnancy prevention and care, nutrition education and intervention, and girl child empowerment. Participants will also get to understand the connection between African religion and health – transcultural dimensions of health. There will be opportunities for community service and field trips/visits to teaching hospitals, community clinical sites where students will observe and participate in programs that are providing integrated care to rural dwellers. Students will interact with other health professions students and should be ready to be personally challenged through open discussions on values and spirituality in the context of an African country. Other teaching/learning activities are discussions, reflections, and oral presentations. Evaluation is based on reflective journaling, presentations and participation in team discussions and events. This course is for students interested in health care and global health; for students with majors in international development, nursing, public health, social work, kinesiology, communications arts, and pre-health professions. This course will provide integral CCE credit. Pre-trip preparations include meetings in the spring and fall. Junior status required.

Cost

$4,094 (estimate)

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