Jordan: Health and Community Development

Investigate health policies and practices in Jordan. Examine the health status of Jordan’s unique population groups including refugees and Bedouin tribes.

Based in Amman, this newly launched program will explore healthcare policy, public health realities, and healthcare infrastructure in urban and rural areas of Jordan and among specific population groups.

Topics of study will include:

Key health status indices in Jordan and the rise in non-communicable, chronic diseases
Links between poverty, health risks, and social development
Public health education
Alternative medical treatment
Food and nutrition
Reproductive and child health

Students will explore the role played by civil society associations to facilitate access to disenfranchised segments of the population and the emergence of Jordan as a major center for alternative medical treatment in the region. Review coursework descriptions.

Learn from academics and health professionals working on the front lines.
Lectures will be delivered by academics and health professionals from Jordan University’s medical and nursing schools and Jordan University Hospital; from NGO activists; and SIT faculty. Public health professionals will share with students their specific experiences and challenges working in the field.

Visit healthcare facilities including treatment centers.
Field visits within Amman and to other parts of Jordan, as well as to Egypt or Turkey, will provide students with an opportunity to examine similarities and variations in healthcare delivery and health realities. The program will also visit natural sites known for their medical and therapeutic treatment, such as the Dead Sea and the hot springs and mineral hot water in Jordan valley.

Live with a local family. Study Arabic and Jordanian culture.
Students will live with host families in Amman, and whenever possible, students will be placed with host families that have direct experience in the health sector. All students will receive intensive instruction in Modern Standard Arabic and lectures on Jordanian culture.